Ouroboros
by Lollytron
Summary: Persephone's world is turned upside down when she is kidnapped by Hades, the Lord of the Underworld. Thinking herself doomed, she must get used to the idea of spending eternity at his side as the Queen of the Dead. My own adaptation of the classical myth.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The time was morning on the other side, and I was ready to leave. The two of us stood standing, awkward and uncertain. He refused to look at me, and I refused to look away from him. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, waiting for Hecate to return with news. This silence… once, it had been almost calming and companionable. Now, it was pure torture.

It was cold, standing on the edge of the River Styx. I shivered even beneath my epiblema, the shawl that I wore over my thin shoulders. It was hard to stand there, enduring the silence between us, and forcing myself to keep my eyes off of the river. It had a strange way of making your mind soft, and getting inside your thoughts. I knew that better than anyone.

Gray clouds roiled above us, thick and rumbling with thunder. I looked up, my eyes searching the dull skies. Far above us, lightning fragmented in streaks of light, almost breaking open the sky. I frowned. There were never any storms in the Underworld, not until recently, and they had only been getting worse. But I knew why. As did he.

I slanted a glance at him, staring out of the corner of my eyes. He looked pale and drawn, even more so than usual. He hadn't eaten or slept as far as I could tell for far more than a day. It was my fault, I knew. He was suffering because of me. It seemed that was always happening, these days. His dark, moonless eyes were sunk back into his waxy skull, and he worried his lip between his teeth endlessly. He seemed on edge, even more so than usual.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

He didn't answer my question. Instead, he said, "I have something for you." He cleared his throat, still not looking me in the eyes. He reached into his chiton, staring at the black sand beneath our feet.

"For me?" I couldn't have hidden my surprise even if I tried. What could he possibly have for me?

"Yes. It's a… well, it's a gift. To remind you of your time spent here." He held out his hand.

It was a pomegranate. That was it; just a simple fruit. It was a vivid scarlet color, and it looked elegant, cupped perfectly in his hand. He broke it in half, some of the seeds falling to the ground. His eyes were searching as he handed me one half.

"Eat some." There! Finally, he looked at me. But the emotion there in his usual dead eyes was one of anguish. Was it possible that he was really sad that I was leaving? All this time I had doubted his emotions, doubted if he could feel at all. Clearly, he could, and our current predicament was tormenting him.

Guilt spread its way through my limbs, until I hung my head. Truly, if one of us was a monster, it was me. I decided right then and there that I was going to eat that gift of his, if only to appease whatever storm was brewing inside of him, and whatever storm was brewing above us.

Several seeds fell into my palm, rolling away from their cradle. I counted six of them. Six rich, crimson jewels glimmering in the smooth shell of my hand. Six cursed blades to rend my soul. I popped the first one into my mouth. It rolled over my tongue, a silky pearl between my teeth. An explosion of its lush, wine-flavor surged behind my lips, and the juices traveled down my throat. The taste was bittersweet, filling my mouth and staining my fingers, but I found a sort of sweet delight in it. A curious smoky fire ignited at the back of my throat, a flame that I relished and consumed. I pressed my tongue to the back of my teeth, to the roof of my mouth, searching for more of that nectar.

One by one, I swallowed them all. One by one, I swallowed my destiny. He watched me eat all six of them, his black eyes following the trail of my lotus hand to my petal lips.

I raised a seventh seed to my mouth, but before it could pass my lips, I felt a cool hand at my shoulder. "It's time to go," Hecate said, her voice distant, as if she were calling to me through a thick mist. She had come back for me, like she had said she would. As much as I knew it would hurt him, I couldn't stop the wave of relief that broke over my head like a swell.

"Are you ready to leave?" Hecate's fingers twitched at my shoulder.

I nodded. Now I was the one looking away. The pomegranate fell from my ivory fingers back into his clawed hand. He accepted the half of fruit without saying a word, but those burning eyes, full of both regret and mystery, spoke volumes. I had a feeling like he was trying to tell me something, as if he were trying to apologize. But for what? What was done had been done, and everything that could have been said had been uttered long before the moment of my departure.

Still, I hesitated. Hecate noticed, pausing and turning back for me. Her hand was in mine suddenly, pulling me away, gently. I let her tug, my feet unwilling. I felt as if I ought to say something to him, but what could I have said, to somehow sum up the past six months? What could I possibly say to change the moment?

"I'll come back," I managed to choke out. Behind me, Hecate gasped, and yanked on my arm harder, as if that might shut me up. "I gave you my word, that I would return and fulfill my promise. You know that, right?"

His breath left him in a sigh. "I admit that until this moment, I did not believe it."

I frowned. "What has changed your mind?"

The pomegranate collapsed beneath his iron grip, crushed into pulp. The juice stained his hands, running in rivulets between his fingers like blood. Each drop seemed to crash upon the sandy shore of the River Styx, and I watched with rapt fascination as he released the ruined fruit. It fell into the water, floating away on the black current.

He stepped forward, closing the space between us. My heart trembled, as he lifted my chin. "Remember this: there are some promises that cannot be broken. That is all I shall say." Lightly, he kissed my cheek. It was an evanescent kiss of mist, a coolness that I thought I had imagined. "Goodbye, my dear."

Fond farewells aside, I turned around and followed Hecate, back towards the life I had once known. My heart beat ferociously, with anxiety and excitement. Still, as I walked alongside the witch, I couldn't shake a feel of foreboding that had settled over my shoulders. My stomach twisted, a poisonous snake writhing in my gut. There was a fire on my tongue, in my chest. I could feel his eyes on my back, burning. Always burning. Something wasn't quite right.

"You should not have said that," Hecate muttered. "You should not make promises to him that you cannot keep."

"What do you mean?" I cleared my throat. Still, that fire remained.

She sighed. "You cannot come back here, child. You cannot come back, at the cost of your mother's heart. The world needs her, and she needs you. It has always been so."

I thought of her words as we passed Cerberus who was crouched menacingly on the shore of the River. So I had lied to him? I was never allowed to return, because my mother was too heartbroken without me? It was hard to believe that she had let mortals die, just for me. It made me feel uncomfortable, but not as much as when I thought about lying to him. I never wanted to, even when he made me angry or scared. He didn't deserve that.

Hecate turned back to me one last time. Her ebon hair swirled around her shoulders, moving in a wind that I could neither hear nor feel. She touched my cheek softly with two of her fingers, angling them just below my eye. Where I had felt his lips on my skin.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

I said nothing. I couldn't, because several things happened in that moment: there was a great flapping of wings above, and a shadow descended over us. As it did, a spasm of pain rippled throughout my body. It hit me quickly, before I could react, and I bent double, clutching my stomach. I emitted a sharp cry, as flames seemed to burst from every pore of my skin. Somewhere in the back of my mind, there was the slamming of a great metal gate; the contract, no doubt, wrapping around my soul. Following that were dark, mocking laughs; female snickers and shrieks that made my blood run cold. I knew them as soon as I heard them: the Fates. _Damn them_. The poison snake that coiled in my belly reared its ugly head and spit venom. I tasted bile, hot and bitter. Falling to my knees, I spit blood and acid onto the black sand, arching my back as I retched.

Hecate dropped down beside me, holding me close. She was saying things, words, but nothing seemed to register. Everything was foggy and unclear, as I knelt down closer to inspect the sand. There was something wrong with the vomit. It was dark, and frothy. Colorful. Something wasn't right. _Colorful?_ Blood. Why blood? Why had I spit blood?

No. Not my blood at all. Dripping from my lips, and pooled on the ground in front of me was hot pomegranate juice. The blood of six beautiful, treacherous seeds.

It looked like I would be keeping my promise to Hades, after all.

* * *

**Yeah, I know. Yet another re-telling of the infamous myth. It is my favorite, though, and I have a lot of events planned for this story. It's short and could probably be better, but it's just an intro. The more interesting writing comes later!**


	2. Feelings of Unrest

One

It was the argument that led to all things. It was a pleasant afternoon, ripe with the golden sun, and sweet-smelling as the flowers that grew in my mother's footsteps. We had been walking for many miles, each of us silent as she spread her gift unto the earth and made all things grow and thrive. The wind blew through my wheat-colored hair, kissing my skin and rippling through my chiton. The earth was warm beneath my feet, the dirt sinking between my bare toes. It had seemed perfect.

She had started it. Hermes had stopped by, just that day, to offer himself to me as a husband, and to try and get in the good graces of my mother. It hadn't worked. She had chased him away with her barbed tongue, and the two of us hadn't talked about it until that moment. She mentioned something about my many suitors and how there was never a moment of peace, and immediately, annoyance had prickled along my spine.

We stopped in the golden long grass, and I remember how it felt, the ends tickling my palms as I stood facing her. The grass waved in the breeze, wafting scents of dirt and life up towards me, making my head spin with autumn. Birds spooked and flew, as our voices carried through the otherwise peaceful air.

"I am so sorry that my presence beleaguers you, _Mother_," I said nastily, planting my hands on my hips. "Perhaps I shall take my leave, so that you may find peace? Often you complain of how I distract you, and how you never get any work done." I pointed to the scarlet and gold flowers marking our path, the ones that stretched on for miles. "What is this, I ask, if not you working your gift? Would Zeus not be pleased to see you oh-so diligent in the face of all your trials?"

Demeter's green eyes narrowed, and she brushed a strand of her curly, auburn hair away from her face. "You would do well to watch your tone with me, girl. All I said was that perhaps it would be better if you would not encourage others to court you."

"And how do I encourage them?" I raised my eyebrows, eagerly waiting for her reply.

She shook her head. "I meant only that you should not want to accept their gifts! You should not want anything to do with them! As I have said time and time again, my child, you will not-"

"Marry!" I shook my head, sighing. "I know, Mother. I shall not wed. Neither you, nor I have any desire for this to happen. But is it necessary to be so rude to them?"

Her face hardened into an expression of distaste. "Yes, it is. Eventually, you will learn that lesson."

"Mother, I am tired of you treating me like a child!" I stomped my foot, crushing a section of flowers. They wilted beneath my feet, bent at odd angles, a milky white substance bleeding from their stems and onto the ground. She stared at them, horrified, as if I had physically wounded her in some way instead of the foliage. Her mouth opened, and it seemed for once, she was speechless. Finally, she spun around and began angrily marching through the grass, away from me.

I sighed. My mother, Demeter, was the Lady of the Land. She was the precious Goddess of Grain, spreading her life among the earth as the seasons changed. Her hair was a dark auburn that spilled down her back in luscious curls, topped off by a wreath of wheat, sometimes autumn leaves. Her chiton was a mossy green color, and she wore no shoes upon her pale, soft feet. She was graceful, but strong; beautiful, but formidable. She was everything that I wished to be upon this earth.

But she was growing bitter. She couldn't see it, obviously, but I could. I spent every waking moment beside her, and I could see the subtle change, as Eris herself seemed to wrap her hands around my mother's heart. One moment, she would be cordial, content to laugh beside me and braid my hair as birds twittered overhead. The next, she would be sullen and silent, ignoring me or snapping every time I tried to speak. I loved my dear mother, for she was everything I knew upon the earth. But I was so tired of her always hovering, and constantly protecting me. She was like my shadow; a being that I could not escape from, one who hung over me like a dark cloud.

Not once had she let me stray from her side. Not once had I been able to experience the sky on my own, and never had I been able to live as she had lived before I was born. She just didn't understand that I needed my own time with the earth. I needed my own time with _me_. Often she complained of how she never got any work done with me around. Often she complained of how distracting I was. I blinked once, twice. That was it. Here was our chance to get what we both wanted, and needed.

I ran through the grass, catching up to her quickly. Her back was straight, her head held high. She was so proud, my mother. One day, it would be her downfall.

"Mother, I need to speak with you."

"Oh?" She asked, feigning innocence. "To speak of what? How you would so readily _destroy_ the one thing that gives me joy in this world?"

"Mother, stop, please." I reached for her shoulder, but she skipped out of my reach.

She shook her head frantically, her back still to me. "I will not stop, daughter. You see, unlike you, I have things I must do. I must secure the harvest for the mortals who pray in my name, I must endlessly walk and ensure that all is right with the earth and the grain, and-"

I grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Her face mirrored shock and outrage, as I threw up my hands. "Mother, for once in your immortal life, will you listen to me?"

She stood still, the two of us staring at each other. Sniffing, she adjusted her circlet, tossing her hair back over her shoulders. Finally, she folded her arms over her chest. "What would you like to say?"

It didn't matter what I was going to say before. I knew she would never listen. I stood up straighter, looking her in the eyes. "Mother, I've made a decision. Since it seems I am such a distraction for you, and since it seems I am experiencing feelings of unrest, I have decided I shall leave."

She gaped, before scoffing. "_Leave?_ Child, where will you go? Your presence will not be permanently endured atop Olympus, I tell you that now."

_That_ stung. "I will not go to Olympus," I replied stiffly, thinking fast. "I shall go to the nymphs. I remember the summer I spent there, whilst you brought harvest to farmers of the mortal world. I shall do so again. You need not worry about me there. In several months time, I shall return to you, after you have finished your duties."

Her green eyes were wide. "You cannot be serious, Persephone."

"I am, Mother. You may come for me when you have finished. Until then…" I took a deep breath, raising my hand to cup her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed. "I need some time to myself. I may be your greatest gift to the world, but I need some time to bloom on my own. I promise you, we will be together again. But for now…"

She nodded, swallowing. Her eyes opened, and they were tear bright, reflecting the glassy blue sky. "And if I told you no? If I denied you the independence that you crave?"

"I will simply go anyways." I shrugged. "I am sorry, Mother, but I cannot stay here a moment longer. I must find my place in the world."

"Persephone, you are the daughter of an Olympian! You are a goddess of Spring. Your place is at my side. What else could you possibly need to know?"

I shook my head. She just didn't understand. "I need to know the world through my own eyes. I need to learn things by myself. You cannot always be around to protect me."

She sighed. "And I know that, more's the pity. You may not think so, but I understand. For all of these years, I tried to shelter you, knowing this day would someday come. I should have known, the best flowers thrive when they find their own sunlight." She pulled me towards her, hugging me fiercely. "I will come for you, my child." Her voice was thick in my ear. "In two months, I will come back for you." She laughed. "_Please_ stay out of trouble."

"I'll do my best." I smiled when we separated. "I'll think of you every day."

"And I you." She kissed both of my cheeks, cradling my face in her hands. "Darling daughter, be one with the wind. Loose yourself to the sky, and imagine that lake where you spent that summer, all of those years ago."

I released a breath, and did as she said. I imagined myself dispersing into the sky, floating among the trees, dancing alongside a bird. I could see the lake, beside a dusky meadow on the cusp of twilight. The sun shone on the water, as Helios and his chariot descended towards the horizon.

And just like that, I was there. My mother and the plains were gone, her hands removed from my face. I was standing there at the edge of the lake, the breeze tugging through my blonde hair. The air was mild, and insects flittered throughout the air. Flowers were scattered throughout the meadow, towards the lake, and I sighed in contentment at the sight of them. I twirled around the grass, my chiton catching on burrs and thorns. From just beyond the trees, on the lake's edge, I heard a merry laugh.

Skipping cheerfully, I ventured over to the lake. As I neared, I could see small, moving balls of light. They glowed profusely, vivid in the darkening light. Entranced, I heard a thin, reedy voice singing in words I didn't recognize, and the strings of an instrument being plucked harmoniously.

"And who walks among the daughters of the lake?"

The voice was raspy and familiar. The syllables rolled off the tongue, sounding like a strange song. I turned at the sound, and saw a beautiful, unearthly girl standing beside me.

Of course, she was one of the nymphs. She had the thin, upturned nose; the plump rose-petal lips; and the long, tangled hair full of weeds and leaves. She wore no clothing, and her slanted eyes were dark, but lively. She was twirling a rose in her hands, rolling the green stem between her long fingers.

I squinted. "Ianira?"

Her mouth stretched wide into a smile, exposing sharp, pointed teeth. "Persephone! You have returned!"

I drew her into a hug, my arms sliding around her skeletally thin frame. "Yes. I'll be staying for a few months, if that's alright."

"Of course, Maiden of Spring. Anything for Demeter and her daughter." Grabbing my hand, she tugged me towards the lake's edge. There, I greeted her two sisters: the dark and bashful Ianthe, and the exuberant, bright Admete. I immediately joined them in making a daisy chain, seated on the cool bank of the lake beneath a willow tree.

We sang, laughed, and told each other stories long into the night, until Selene herself was high in the sky, watching us with her silver eyes. The nymphs told me how eager they were to play with me, and how happy they were to have me back among them. I was excited to spend the days with them, experiencing life on my own, though I did miss my mother. Finally, after many hours of merriment, I began to feel sleepy. The three of them let me slide down into the welcoming grass, closing my eyes to dream of my mother and the joyous days to come.

* * *

**For those of you who don't know, Selene is an archaic moon deity :) Also, for those curious: the ouroboros is an ancient symbol, usually of a snake, eating it's own tail and forming a circle. I thought the prospect was fitting for this story, since it's a tale of the life, death, rebirth cycle. Anyway, I just thought I'd share that with you! It starts off a little slow, but there's much more in store. **


	3. Taken

Two

The days, full of fun, passed quickly. The four of us played games in the long grass, pouncing on each other and running wild. We crouched at the edge of the lake, searching for shiny pebbles or oddly shaped leaves. They braided shells into my hair, and we sang songs of gods and men to each other until our voices disappeared into the night. We took naps beneath the weeping willow there, and I told them stories of my mother upon waking. They told me their own tales of their nymph siblings living all across the land, and it was lovely.

It didn't take long for me to realize that the days had passed into weeks, and the weeks had merged into more than one month. Time had always passed differently for us immortals; days were like mere minutes, as eternity stretched out before us. The days passed like fleeting dreams, whispers of movement that vanished as soon as I blinked.

While not playing with the nymphs, I wandered the endless hills and meadows. I made flowers grow where I walked, just like my mother had taught me, in order to spread their beauty and sweet scent. I visited towns, planting trees and bushes; I helped struggling farmers by enriching their crops, though my mother was much better at it than I. Usually, I stuck to flowers. Flowers were my specialty.

There is just something so perfect about a flower. Flowers have entire lives of their own. For instance, lavender. Breathing deeply, the smell and the color itself is relaxing. They are the perfect listeners, as they never try to interrupt you and are always a comfort. Lilies, white as snow, are pure and there is something fragile about them when you hold them in your hands. They are smooth and unmarried by life's trivialities, like time and wealth; they are shy virgins. Daffodils are a cheerful yellow, bright and happy. They nod at you as you pass by, always polite and welcoming. Roses are red, lusty and rich with scent and color. They are the seducers of the plant world. Daisies are everyone's best friend, masquerading in a variety of colors. Nobody can stay mad at a daisy.

There is just so much that can be told from flowers. I could certainly relate to them, and respect them, more than I could for mortals. I always felt much closer to living things growing from the rich earth, than I did with gods and goddesses even. Except my mother. She always understood my love for things that grew. She cultivated it, just like she did her creations.

I created beauty. I created _life_. To me, that was more important and much more special than anything anyone could ever do. Just by looking at a flower, a person can feel their life has improved. Was that not godly?

I was happy. Missing my mother and longing to see her again, but happy with my nymph friends, experiencing life on my own for the very first time. Nothing could have ever shattered that for me.

"Persephone!"

I smiled, looking up from my berry-picking. Admete was swimming through the waters of the lake, only her head visible over the shimmering water. She rose from the water, tumbling towards me through the grass. She rolled to a stop right beside me, picking a handful of berries and popping them into her mouth. I watched with fascination as she bit down, dark juice dribbling down her chin.

It was a bright day, but cool and crisp with the promise of autumn. The nymph sisters had been swimming all morning, while I picked blackberries so the four of us could make wine later that evening.

"Yes, Admete?"

"Ianthe and I have decided that tonight, we shall have a celebration," She tugged on a strand of my hair, curling it around her finger as she chewed her berries. "We shall honor Dionysus with our festivities. Do you wish to join us?"

I rolled my eyes. "Need you even ask?"

She clapped her hands together, grinning widely and cackling with excitement. Her teeth were stained purple. "Oh, this is so wonderful! Come!" She quickly stood, wringing out her hair with her spindly fingers. "If we are to have a celebration, then we _must_ collect flowers."

I frowned. "We must?"

She grabbed my wrist, yanking me to my feet. "Yes. We can finish the wine later, when the sun sets. Ianthe and Ianira can gather violets and roses, while you and I shall gather lilies and narcissus. It will be delightful!"

I wrinkled my nose. I was familiar with the narcissus bloom, and how it had come into being. It seemed to me that a flower that had been brought into the world on such vain purposes would not do well at our celebration. "Are you sure?" I asked, trotting after Admete. "Narcissus?"

"It's a celebration!" Admete insisted, racing through the long grass. "We _must_ have narcissus! It is much too beautiful to pass up!"

"Yes, so I have heard," I grumbled dryly, sighing as I was pulled along after her into another wild scheme.

What a celebration it would be.

* * *

Watching, like a panther, stalking its prey from below. Black eyes shining like moonless pools beneath a starry sky. Fingers tightening, heart pounding.

Dimly, through the veil of life and death, he sees her. She stoops to pick a lily along the hill, smiling absently as she tucks it behind one ear. Her hand grazes her hair; those strands are finer than gold to his eyes. He can barely breathe as she stands like a proud spring rose, Helios glowing upon her form. She summons a new bloom to grow in the place of the lily she picked.

She is pure bliss. She is beauty, regal in her innocence. Her skin is as milky white as the lily tucked in her hair, and her smile just as bright as new-fallen snow. Her blue eyes are more vivid than the sky, more illustrious than any sapphire he could find. The lashes framing those sparkling gems are like spun coins; the sum of those riches are greater than any man or god could possibly have.

Desire sparks through his blood, lighting him on fire. Need drives him to lean closer, stroking the petals of his narcissus flower so that his gaze upon the living world widens. Instantly, he is smitten, his heart practically bursting with emotions he has not yet felt; it's a burning ember that he thinks may possibly be love. Could this be the brightness he so seeks, lost in darkness? Could she be the one to breathe life into his dead husk?

A voice rings out across the veil, one belonging to a figure he cannot see. "Persephone! Over here!"

The girl stands, turns, smiles, waves. His lips manage to twist into a smile, as he watches her run. _Persephone_. He knows of this girl. He knows who is her mother; the austere gaze of Demeter fills his mind. But he can't care. He is enthralled.

Before the day is through, she will be his. She will be his beloved. His queen.

* * *

"What is it, Admete?" I asked, spinning away down the hill, clutching a fistful of lilies. For every one that I plucked from the earth, I made a new one grow. It was the only way to effectively keep the balance of life and death, and it was one of the most valuable lessons my mother had ever taught me. When one takes, one must give back, or else the world will never thrive and the people will never learn.

Helios' heat stretched down from above, and I felt a drop of sweat trickle between my shoulder blades. I wiped at my back with my stray hand, wrinkling my nose at my damp chiton.

Admete was crouched on the ground, kneeling to pick narcissus. As I approached, I felt something pulling me, tugging me closer and closer to the humming nymph. It was a feeling like I had just plunged into freezing water, or I was walking towards a cliff with my hand over my eyes. A voice inside my ears whispered, begging me to come closer. I did as I was told, dropping to my knees.

I blinked, the light around us swelling and fading, intensifying and dimming. My head felt light. How had I suddenly gotten on the ground, beside Admete? I looked at her, but she appeared unaffected. She kept humming as she pulled on the delicate stems with her thin fingers. The flowers seemed to thrum and writhe in her hands.

_Take one_.

The voice was there again. As if I was a puppet on a string, my arm reached out, my fingers grasping for one of those frail blooms. My vision blurred, and for a split-second, I saw a flash of a face: deathly pale with marbled blue veins and black, empty eyes. My mouth opened in a silent gasp, but still, my hand moved towards the flower, even as the face vanished.

_Just take one._

The petals were like silk against my fingers, and I cradled the bloom. It grew warm in my hand, as I leaned it over it. My hair fell like golden curtains around the sides of my face, shielding me from Admete. All I saw was that white haven, cupped in my hands. A prickling wave of fear melted down my spine. A sudden wave of cold descended over me, as the scene before me changed. I watched, horrified, as the bloom in my hands expanded until it was larger. A white hand, thin enough to be merely bone, shot through, grabbing my wrist.

I screamed, falling backwards. The ground in front of us opened, cracking into a great fissure. Black smoke spilled forth, billowing into the air, followed by four enormous black steeds. Their eyes blazed with fire, and their hooves stomped into the ground, searing the grass around them. They pulled an ebony chariot with gilded wheels, and standing there, leading the horses was the pale man, the one I had seen. The reins were clutched tightly in his bony fingers, and he looked down upon us with empty, black eyes set deep in his head. He appeared to me like a skeleton, the shadowy smoke twisting and writhing around him like a cloak.

Admete was screaming beside me, scrambling backwards through the grass, trying to pick herself up to run. Narcissus blooms fell through the air like leaves from a tree, spiraling and dropping among the soiled, burned grass. I fell, frozen, unable to move as I stared up at the sight before us.

Hades. The Lord of the Underworld, the Keeper of Lost Souls, was standing above us on his chariot, his horses pawing at the ground and snorting. He turned his gaze on me, and I felt the very life drain from my body. His eyes were on me, scrutinizing and searching. I felt as if he was depleting my soul.

His hair was long and lank, black as the foulest night, and dull even in the light of Helios. The hair on his face was wild and unkempt, and as he stepped down from his chariot, the look in his eyes was madness. His black chiton was fastened at his right shoulder with a silver brooch in the shape of a rams' skull, rubies set in its eyes. On his feet were boots of black leather that were scuffed and cracked. He walked towards me, each of his footprints turning the grass beneath to dust; patches of brown, dead soil littered the ground before me. His form blocked out Helios' light, as he towered over me.

I made no noise as he bent, and grabbed my arm. His hands were ice cold, sending shivers down my spine. In one fluid movement, he scooped me up, flinging me over his shoulder. Before I could react, the two of us were in the chariot, and he was snapping the reins.

"No," I mumbled, trying to pull away from him. His cold arms held me tight against his chest. I struggled harder, wiggling like a fish out of water. I scratched at his arms, at his chest, to no avail. "No. No!"

Admete lay on the ground, screaming and sobbing. I remember seeing her face, as she desperately grabbed handfuls of grass, ripping them from the earth. My heart felt like that grass; torn from its warm place, and flung free into the winds. I was being taken, and there was nothing either of us could do to stop it.

The horses whinnied, as the chariot turned. They leapt into the air, plunging back down into the large crack. The chariot followed, flying into the air. I screamed as loud as I could, even as the earth swallowed us whole.

* * *

Demeter paused, her head cocked to the left. She rose from her place on the ground, standing among the endless rows of corn. Her eyes strayed to the east, as a flock of calling birds took flight from a nearby tree on the edge of the fields. They dashed across the sky, in the opposite direction, towards the distant mountains.

She had been steadily making her way through the towns and villages in the past month, ensuring bountiful crops for those who were pious, and wilting the foods of those who thought she didn't hear their whispered slander. She spent most of her days among the mortals, bringing wealth to their table for another season. Most of them welcomed her among them with reverence and respect, and she was appreciative. Still, as much work as she got done, she never went a moment without thinking of her darling daughter.

A month had gone by already, and she had heard nothing from Persephone. Demeter worried often in the boundless hours. Was she okay? Were the nymphs treating her well? Was she staying out of trouble, like she had promised? _Just one more month_, Demeter thought to herself when the anxiety threatened to overtake her. _One more month, and we shall be reunited_.

Except… something was wrong. Demeter could feel it inside of her, in that way that she always could. Whether it was something to do with Persephone or someone else was another matter entirely…

The mortal who owned the farm was kneeling a few feet away, tucking ears of corn into a woven basket. He looked over at the goddess, frowning as he noticed her strange demeanor. "Is something amiss, my lady Demeter?"

She shook her head, gazing out across the land. "I… I feel something. Something isn't right…" She turned suddenly, squinting at the east. "There! Did you hear that?"

The farmer shook his head, standing as well. "No, my lady, I didn't." He glanced at her. "What is it? Is a storm coming?"

She shushed him, closing her eyes. She listened to the earth as it rumbled distantly beneath her bare feet. Spreading her arms and opening her hands so that her palms faced the sky, she could hear everything. Ants were crawling in the dirt around her toes; she could hear them speaking to each other with their antennae. The wind whistled, breathing through the boughs of the willow tree beyond the crops. In it was a nest full of hungry baby birds; each of their hearts beat with a rushing pulse, like a drunken dance to a pounding drum. She could feel the vibrations of all life around her, and as her spirit dived down into the earth, she searched for the one vibration that she was admittedly most concerned about.

_Persephone… where are you, my child?_

East. She was to the east. Demeter could feel her through the earth. She was kneeling on the ground. Flowers were being picked, and then growing back, springing up through the dirt as if they'd been there all along. Persephone was there, along with someone else. Someone whose knees were spindly and pointed, digging into the ground. A nymph, no doubt. Then…

There it was. The disturbance. Something had torn the earth open, cracking it like an egg. But what? Demeter frowned, focusing her energy on that place, so many miles away. Something dark and twisted. Her spirit reached out with one hand, touching at that place. She instantly recoiled, her entire body going cold. Death. That place had been tainted by death. Demeter's lip curled back in disgust.

"_Hades_."

"My lady?" The farmer was still there, biting his lip and looking unsure. His voice pulled Demeter back.

She closed her fists, opening her eyes. Scowled. "What does Hades think he is doing?" She murmured.

Then she heard it, even louder than before. Screaming. A scream, long and loud and eerie, and impossibly far away, echoing all the way to her ears. A familiar voice. Demeter's heart lurched in her chest, and her blood ran cold. _Persephone_.

"No…" She whispered. "No! Not my daughter!"

In a flash, she shifted into a bay mare, taking off at a gallop through the corn fields. The mortal stared after her, shocked and confused, his mouth gaping open like he was a fish. She made her way across the fields and valleys that she had visited already, speeding eastwards on her way. Love drove her, fueling her even when she grew tired. She galloped for miles, the wind dragging its way through her mane. Brambles and burrs caught on her legs, sticking in her tail, and still she pressed on.

_Persephone… what has happened to you, my child?_

_

* * *

_

Hecate, goddess of witches, watched from her seat atop a boulder as the mare tore past, galloping so fast that a wind blew in her wake. _Too fast for a normal mare_, the goddess thought. She looked down at her hound companion, the alpha male of the pack that she traveled with. "Kyrillos, what do you make of that?"

The hound snorted, sitting up. He blinked at her with his intelligent amber eyes, and she could read what he was thinking as he met her gaze.

Hecate nodded, dropping a hand to pet his head. "Yes, I think so too. The only question is… where is the lady Demeter off to in such a hurry?"

Only one would truly know. Hecate glanced up at the golden light that was already starting to fade. "Wait here," She told Kyrillos. He dipped his head in a nod, laying down beside the boulder she was seated on.

Hecate closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Calling her magick forth, she shifted into a sleek raven. Flapping her wings, she soared into the afternoon sky, beating her wings hard against the air currents. Calling to announce herself, she flew up to where Helios was driving his mighty team of golden horses across the sky. He watched as she flew up beside him, hovering.

He tossed his golden hair out of his glowing eyes, smiling brightly at her. "Greetings, Hecate! You're in the skies much earlier than usual. How may I assist you, Dark Lady?"

"The lady Demeter," Hecate replied. "She was a horse, darting across the land faster than any I have ever seen. You see all as you make your daily journey across the heavens. Pray tell, what was she running from? Or to?"

Helios' face fell. Looking uncomfortable, he said, "I have seen the events below. But I do not know that I should share them with your ears."

"Zeus has named me one of his fortunate favorites, Helios. If I must, I shall go to him."

He recognized her threat, and bowed his head politely. "You need not go to such lengths, Hecate. I shall tell you." Helios sighed, as one of his steeds neighed loudly. "Earlier this afternoon, I spied the bright Persephone picking narcissus blooms with the nymph Admete. They were in the midst of a celebration to Dionysus with Admete's sisters, Ianthe and Ianira. They were interrupted."

"By whom?"

"Hades, Lord of the Underworld. As you know, Dark Lady, the narcissus blooms are his sacred flowers. He sprang out of the ground with his chariot and his hellish horses, and abducted the maiden Persephone!" Helios' face was mournful. "Demeter heard but the echoes of her screams, and as fast as she may gallop, I am afraid she is far too late."

Hecate's heart sank. "Thank you, Bright One. I shall leave you now to your journey."

Helios nodded, guiding his chariot away. Hecate let herself float down through the sky, until she was once more upon the earth. She shifted back into her usual form, anxiously rubbing her hands together. Her black hair blew in a noiseless wind, and she imagined she could hear the innocent Persephone's screams as she was dragged to the Underworld.

Hecate blew out a breath, looking at Kyrillos. "Trouble is on the horizon, pet. A storm is coming."

Lifting her head, she sent out a thought on the winds, gathering her magick in her hands and sending the energy out in waves across the land. It was invisible to all eyes but hers.

_Hades, dear friend of mine, what have you done?_


	4. A Life With Death

Three

I was dead. I had closed my eyes against what felt like a storm, my hair whipping lethally around my face. A rush of sound swooped over me, encompassing and deafening; a combination of my own screams and a crunching sound as the earth closed itself up again. Now it was dark. Endlessly dark. Never in my life had I known such a blackness. It was cold. I could no longer feel my limbs.

I shivered. I was dead. There was no other explanation for the pain in my heart, and the cold that consumed me. A corpse. A living corpse.

"You're not a living corpse."

It wasn't until I heard the deep voice behind me that I released I had spoken aloud. Hades continued, "You aren't dead, Persephone, but we are in the Underworld. Do not panic. There is merely a moment where we must pass through Erebus, and he shall eventually fade into the realm that I preside over."

Erebus. The blackness that separated the living from the dead. The curtain that shielded the two realms from one another. That period of seemingly forever black and silence. Nothingness. Cold emptiness. It seemed to swallow me, until I was nothing but a speck within it.

Eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime, the curtain of darkness pulled back, revealing a muddy shore of black sand. Above us were stalactites larger than any temple a mortal man could construct, bigger even than some of the pillars atop the home peak of Olympus. They dripped with water, down into the rushing River Styx that loomed before us. My heart remained frozen in my chest, unaffected as Hades drove his chariot over the river entirely, bypassing the motionless form of Charon, the ferryman, who was waiting there on the water's edge. Hades drove the chariot past, over the water itself. I stared at Charon's hooded form until he fell from sight, dissipating into the thick mist that surrounded us.

Styx was wide, but the journey took mere moments using Hades' chariot. We passed through the mist like shadows, until we were on the other side. Black, metal gates rose in front of us, ascetic and daunting. An intricate metal ram's skull served as the padlock, wrapping silver chains around the gates, blocking the way. That, however, was not what caught my attention.

Sitting to the side of the gates was a massive, three-headed dog. Its six ears pricked at the sound of the horses' hoof beats, and it rose from sleep. It was coated in thick, gray fur, but patches were thin, or missing, exposing muscles and bone. Its large yellow eyes were sleepy, and one of its heads yawned, exposing dripping jaws and enormous, blood-stained teeth. If Hades hadn't been holding me up, I would have fallen down from shock. Cerberus. The guardian of the Land of the Dead. Hades whistled as the chariot approached, and Cerberus leapt to his feet. His tail wagged, and he jumped about excitedly.

Hades stopped the chariot, reaching for his right shoulder. He yanked the brooch off with one hand, holding his chiton with the other. He raised the brooch until it was level with the enormous padlock on the gate. The skeletal rams' eyes on the padlock filled with a glowing red light, as suddenly the chains hummed. They slithered back like snakes, sliding off of the gates, allowing them to creak open. Hades fixed his brooch back in place, twitched the reins, and we were off again.

As the two of us wheeled past, the enormous dog let out a mournful whine. Hades sighed, looking past me and towards Cerberus. "I know. I'll be back soon."

With six sad eyes, Cerberus laid back down, folding his paws and huffing out a sigh. The gates remained open as we passed through them, and I knew that if anyone else were to enter, they would first have to make their way past the sulking, three-headed behemoth that lived only to protect and serve the Lord of the Underworld.

The black sand faded into gray dirt. A road stretched on before us, until it passed beyond what I could physically see. To our left, it branched off at the base of a hill, and Hades guided the four horses that way.

Everything around me was colorless and faded. The dirt beneath the wheels was a dull gray, as were the strange clouds that hovered below the stalactites, acting as a makeshift sky. Rocks and dry shrubs lined the road, but they were black. What I thought was snow falling from the sky turned out to be soot; it smeared like smoke on my skin. The air was thick and still, with no wind to speak of, and hardly any light. The place was just… barren. Desolate.

When we reached the top of the hill, I gasped aloud. The Hall of Hades was gargantuan, standing proudly like a temple. Braziers filled with purple fire lit our way, stretching to the black stone stairs that led inside. Simple black columns were twisted with thorns, as forbidding as they were hauntingly lovely. Before the stairs themselves was a small courtyard of broken stone, surrounded on all sides by statues, with a fountain as the centerpiece. Brackish water fell from the fountain, a thick sludge that slopped over the sides. The statues encircling the courtyard were grotesque, their faces twisted with demonic fangs and horns, their bodies contorted into animalistic shapes. I felt as if their eyes were following me, boring into my back.

Finally, the chariot rolled to a complete stop in front of the steps. A hooded figure slithered down the steps of the Hall, taking the chariot as Hades jumped down and lifted me from it. The mysterious figure hopped in, taking the reins and driving the horses around to the left, disappearing behind the edge of the stone wall. I kept staring, waiting for him to reappear, even as Hades gently tugged me up the stairs.

His hand was on mine. I pulled away from him, folding my arms tightly across my chest. My heart was racing with fear, and I could barely breathe. Now that the shock was wearing off, I was panicking. Why? Why had he brought me here? I hesitantly followed him into the vestibule of the Hall, unsure of what else I could do.

"You need not fear anything while you remain here," Hades said, his voice rumbling across the Hall. The stone seemed to rumble in reply, like a distant thunder that I knew wasn't truly there. He wouldn't look at me. Instead, he turned and pointed down the wide corridor. "Your rooms are at the end, on the right. You will find everything you need there."

"Rooms?" I croaked, horrified. "I need no rooms! Take me back to the surface! Release me!"

Hades shook his head. "That I cannot do. What's done has been done."

"What _has_ been done? Why am I here?"

Hades spoke the words as if they were obvious from the start. "To be my bride, of course. We shall wed, and you will reign as the Queen of the Underworld."

_Queen of the Underworld_. When I had told my mother I had wanted to experience the world, I hadn't meant this. I could never have dreamt this, not in my wildest nightmares. Was this my destiny: to be stolen away, to become the eternal bride of the Hades? A wilted flower in a land of lifeless things? As he turned his eyes upon me, all I could think of was my mother, and how because of one silly argument, I would never see her again.

_What's done has been done. Be my bride._

The floor rushed up to meet my eyes, turning over and in on itself. My stomach plunged, and I crumpled to the floor, the entire world fading to black behind my closed eyes.

* * *

Hades caught Persephone just in time, scooping her up before she fell to the stone floor. She was limp and light in his arms, and he easily carried her down to the corridor to the apartments he had set aside for her. Gently, he set her down on the wide bed that he had placed in there for her. He reached out to brush the hair off of her face, and stopped himself. Before, her hair had been a bright gold. Now, it was a dull black, stained by Erebus' dark fingers.

_Already I have tainted her._

He closed his fist, edging backwards out of the room. He shut the door behind him, before leaning against the wall there. Sucked in a deep breath. Let it out. Another. Inhale… exhale. He closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. A thought brushed against the corners of his mind.

_Hades… what have you done?_

A tear spilled forth over his ebony lashes, down one white cheek. He couldn't stop the others that followed. Body shaking, he silently wept outside of her bedroom, his hands fisted in his hair. Stolen. Kidnapped. Abducted. Guilt paralyzed him, knocking his heart against his ribcage. He slid down the wall until he was seated on the cold, stone floor.

_What have I done?_

She had screamed. She had screamed her throat bloody, until no more sound passed her lips. She had cried, beating her frail fists against him, sobbing and pleading for him to release her. She had cried for her mother. She had finally collapsed against him, shocked into a silence that had actually frightened him. No more was she that innocent maiden that he had spied dancing gaily with nymphs. No longer was she that perfect girl, picking flowers and humming songs beneath her breath.

_**What have I done?**_

He tried reminding himself that it was the only way. After all, he could not walk among the fields where she played, spending moments in the sun. That was Zeus' realm. He was not permitted. Instead, he was damned, forced to spend his time in a place of darkness and fire, where nothing bright lived, and where no life shone. His heart ached at the prospect of another lifetime alone. All he wanted was something-someone-he could love, and someone who could love him back. He longed for it with every fiber of his being.

But could she? After what he had done, could she?

_Fool,_ he thought, cursing himself. _You wretched fool, why would she? You do not deserve her love. You deserve nothing. No one could possibly love you. You're a __**monster**__._

_

* * *

_

Demeter changed back into her usual form, dropping to her knees. She was covered from head to toe in sweat, and she was trembling from exhaustion. Days, she had run, searching for her daughter across the land. Persephone was nowhere to be found, and no one seemed to know what had happened to her. She had asked everyone she had passed: the dryads of the forest, the birds, the animals, the satyrs, the wind, the rain. No one knew. Each was just as confused as she was.

She let out a dry sob, slamming her palms against the ground. The earth rumbled beneath her, as she dragged her broken nails through the dirt, clenching fistfuls of soil and squeezing the life from it. How could Persephone have just vanished?

_Somebody knows what has happened to my daughter… somebody knows._

"The nymphs." Demeter sat back on her heels, wiping her damp forehead with the back of her hand. "The nymphs will know. They _must_ know." Gathering what little strength she had left, she took to the winds, vanishing.

She appeared at the edge of the nymphs' lake, landing unsteadily. Her ankle twisted, and she cried out in pain. There was a rustling to her right, as she limped forward, and a reedy voice floated into the air.

"Who disturbs the daughters of the lake?"

"It is I…" Demeter gasped, walking slowly on her tender ankle. "Demeter."

Immediately, three forms burst forth out of the long grass, dropping down at her feet. A wave of pleading and sobbing rushed over her, assaulting her ears with a buffet of noise. One of the three nymphs kissing the hem of her peplos wailed loudly, until Demeter threw her hands over her ears.

"Enough!" She cried, shaking her head. "You exhaust me further with your lamentations! Rise, nymphs, and attend." The nymphs slowly rose to their feet, each of them standing with their heads bowed shamefully. "I am searching for Persephone. I demand that you tell me what has happened to her. Where is my daughter?"

The nymphs went into hysterics again, their babbling too much for Demeter to make sense of. Angrily, she silenced them once more. "If you cannot tell me what has happened, then by Zeus, I summon forth someone who can!"

With a howl and a flash of black smoke, Hecate appeared beside them, her faithful alpha hound Kyrillos at her side. She tossed her black hair out of her face, looking patiently at the odd scene before her. "Someone called?"

"Then it is you," Demeter said softly, taking one labored step forward. "You are someone who knows what has happened to my daughter."

Hecate hesitated. "That is true, Goddess of Grain. I have heard what has happened to fair Persephone. But don't take my word for it. Take the word of the one who saw it happen with his own eyes." Hecate pointed one long finger up, at the sky.

Demeter raised her face, squinting at the bright visage of the sun. "Helios." His name sounded like a plague upon her lips.

Together, the two goddesses summoned him down, until he was hovering before them in his golden chariot. The light of the world gathered around them, and they were forced to shield their eyes. His horses stamped in the air, their gilded hooves shining vividly. Helios bowed to the two goddesses, before straightening up again. "How may I assist the Dark Lady and the Goddess of Growth?"

"Persephone," Demeter immediately said, wishing to spare all trivialities. "Hecate informs me you know what happened to her."

Helios' face, dazzling though it was, turned grave at the mention of the spring goddess' name. "Yes, I did see it, Lady Demeter. I will tell you, though it will not appease your searching heart." He sighed, looking out across the land. "Knowing you would never give consent, Hades has stolen her, and taken her to the Underworld to be his bride."

"No," Demeter whispered, paling as the earth seemed to spin beneath her unsteady feet. She grabbed Hecate's arm, holding herself up even as it seemed she would plunge into oblivion. "No, it cannot be."

"As much as I wish it were not," Helios said sadly, "It is. I am sorry to be the bearer of such unhappy tidings."

Hecate nodded to him, and he bowed to the two of them again, before charging once more into the sky. As he departed, Hecate held onto Demeter, who was trembling and mumbling to herself. "Demeter? Are you all right?"

"No… it is not possible. My daughter… she cannot be the Queen of the Dead."

"I'm sorry," Hecate murmured. "I'm so sorry, Demeter." She pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly until the goddess' body stopped shaking abruptly. Gently, Hecate released her, patting her back.

Demeter's face was oddly blank, her body stiff and rigid. She drew herself up to her full height, all of her previous exhaustion and pain vanishing. A wind whipped up, casting wide ripples on the otherwise unmarred surface of the lake. The nymphs lurking beside them in the grass began wailing again, as Demeter turned her cold, fearsome gaze upon them.

"You," She said, her voice echoing across a thousand lifetimes. Her words dripped with hatred and anger, as she looked at each of them in turn. "You were charged with protecting my daughter. You let Hades steal her. You might have stopped him, and yet, you did not even try to save her. She is gone because of _you_."

"No, Lady, please-"

"_Silence_." As the wind howled above them, Demeter cast her hands out at the nymphs, her auburn hair whipping around her face. Her wheat circlet was torn off her head; it spiraled into the sky, disappearing over the lake. Her eyes shone with fury, as she screamed over the gathering tempest, "A curse I place upon you three, for failing my daughter Persephone! A bane upon you I so spin, may it sink into your skin. I taint your hearts until they're black, I twist your spirits until they crack. Doomed to wander endlessly, sirens of deception you shall be. May you sing your dreadful song, and feel deceit your whole lifelong!"

"No!" Hecate shouted, but it was too late. Power burst forth out of Demeter's fingertips, enveloping the nymphs. They screamed in pain as the wind swallowed them, dragging them into the air. They spun helplessly as their bodies changed: their skin turned a sallow yellow; their eyes became an inky black; grotesque wings sprouted from their backs, and their feet turned into fierce talons. The wind finally abated, leaving the three sirens in the air, flapping their wings and calling to each other with haunting voices.

"Go!" Demeter screamed. "Wander, and search fruitlessly for my beloved daughter!"

The three sirens took flight, shooting into the sky and flying in three different directions. Demeter watched them go, breathing hard. When they eventually faded from sight, she sank down to the ground, her body shaking again. She grabbed at her hair, cackling hysterically. Hecate dropped down beside her, snatching her wrists and her sharp fingernails away from her eyes. She held her close, rocking Demeter as her laughs melted into sobs. An ache filled her heart, as tears pooled on the ground at their feet.

Hecate watched in horror as the tears burned the grass, browning the soil into death. It didn't stop there. It continued spreading beneath their feet, circling outwards away from them. The grass around them withered, and all of the leaves fell from the weeping willow tree on the edge of the lake. Hecate's eyes widened as the lake froze, ice spreading over it entirely. She watched as the land around them began to die.

Demeter kept sobbing, saying only one word over and over.

"_Persephone…_"

* * *

**This has been my favorite chapter to write so far :) Thank you for all the favorites, and the reviews! **


	5. Schemes

Four

_**Day One**_

"Mother!" I screamed, sitting straight up. I placed a hand against my chest to soothe my racing heart, wiping the cold sweat off of my face. My stomach was turning with nausea, and I took several deep breaths, closing my eyes. I was alive. I was awake. I was fine. All because I'd had the worst nightmare…

My head ached, and I rubbed at my temples. What even happened the day before? It was like there was a fog in my mind, and try as I might, I just couldn't see past it. Something had happened, something terrible… or was that just the leftover anxiety from the nightmare?

I opened my eyes, and then frowned. Bed. I was in a bed. Red silk curtains hung on three sides, and I yanked back the ones closest to me. I gaped at the large, elegant room before me. The floor was a beautiful white marble, covered with elaborately woven rugs in bright colors, such as yellow and blue. A wooden cupboard stood taller than me in the corner, and I made my way hesitantly over to it, throwing it open in one swift motion. Inside were clothes. Women's clothes, made of finer materials than any I had ever laid eyes on. I passed my hand over a silken chiton. It was soft green, and luxurious to touch. Below, in a drawer, were sandals and boots made of exceptional leather and fur. Against the far wall was a door. I made my way there next. It was a sitting area. There was a plush divan, several chairs, and a small table. Again, there was another door. I looked in there, too, and found a place where I could bathe. Where was I? What was this place, and why did it look as though it were mine?

My head hurt so badly. I brought my hands to my head, rubbing just above my ears. I felt something tickle against my left hand, and I flinched, looking at my hand. There was a smudge of something on my skin. I felt my left ear, and something crumbled in my hand. When I looked again, a heavy sorrow swept through me. There in my hand was the lily blossom I had placed behind my ear… only, it was dead. It had turned to ash in my hand. I sighed sadly, and it blew like dust from my palm, sprinkling on the ground.

A lily. That sparked a memory. A _lily_. What was I doing the day before? Flowers… ashes… As confused as ever, I made my way back to the bedroom.

The bedroom was occupied when I returned. I gasped, emitting a tiny shriek as I saw the dark form looming beside the bed. All at once, the events of the previous day swarmed into my head: the narcissus, the ground breaking open, Admete screaming, Hades taking me away, the cold of Erebus… I gasped, my lungs flooding with ice. My mother. How could I have forgotten my mother? Dozens of questions flooded my mind. Did she know I was gone? Was she looking for me? Did she know who had taken me? My chest ached with physical pain at the thought of her, and tears brimmed at my eyes again. I wanted to go home.

_Hades_.

He was standing beside the bed, and he looked up as I came into the bedroom. He looked as frenetic as he did the day before, with his wild black hair in tangled ropes down his back, and with his empty, staring eyes. I stayed where I was, against the opposite wall. He took a step forward, and I took one back, pressing myself flat against the wall. I could barely breathe for the fear.

He stopped short, and stared at me. Neither of us said anything for a long moment.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "I trust you… slept well?"

I didn't answer. His voice was deep and cultured, but it did not carry the insanity that I imagined. He sounded like a man pleasantly asking after me, as if he actually cared. How stupid of me to think so. That was impossible. He'd sooner kill me, of that I was sure.

He spoke again. "Are you hungry?"

Again, I said nothing. After a moment, he just nodded his head, and then bowed stiffly, politely. Turning on his heel, he left the room through a door to the right of the bed. I waited until I heard his the echoes of his footsteps fade, before crossing the room and sitting down on the bed. Clamping my hands together, I pressed them tightly between my knees and bit my lip to keep from crying. I could hear my mother's voice inside my head: _No more tears, Persephone. Be strong now. Find a way out._

Yes, of course. I would escape! I eyed the door that he had gone through. What if he was out there, lurking just out of sight? What if he caught me? I had to try. I had to get back to my mother. As quietly as I could, I moved away from the bed and towards the door. I pressed my ear against it, listening for any sound beyond. There was nothing. As softly as I dared, I turned the knob and pulled the door open. Sticking my head out, I noticed with a triumphant feeling that the hallway was empty. With panic swimming through my blood, I dashed down the stone hallway, making my way towards the main entrance of the Hall.

The world outside was brighter than I imagined. It was like being among the land of the living again, on a cloudy day. I realized then that the sun did rise in the Underworld, though its light was curtained and dimmed by Erebus. The air was still the same as before, thick and warm and windless. The purple flames burned in their braziers as I raced past, ignoring the eerie stares of the statues that lined the courtyard.

Running as fast as I could, it didn't take long for me to reach the bottom of the hill. The bottoms of my feet stung from the harsh dirt, but I had to keep going. Wildly, I ran down the gray road, until I came to the gates. My heart flooded with relief. They were still open! Was Hades a fool? Had he trusted that I would not try to escape? What folly! Actually smiling, I hurried through the gates and emerged triumphant on the other side.

And then my entire plan came crashing down around me.

The River Styx. I hadn't thought about how I would get across. I didn't think I could swim it, for it was much too wide and tumultuous, and I also dared not set one toe inside. It's known as the River of Hate; why would I want to go swimming through that? I stood there, frowning, weighing my options. Charon could take me across. But he was on the other side, waiting to ferry the dead. Could I call to him, and summon him? Or would it be wiser to wait instead for him to bring a soul across, at which point I could ferry back? But I had no coins on me. I had nothing but the chiton that I had arrived in, and I would certainly not give that to him. I also really didn't want to wait around to see a dead soul, traveling on its way to its eternal resting place.

"Damn," I muttered, throwing my arms up. What could I do? I did the only thing I could think of. I yelled. "Help! Someone help me! HELP!"

* * *

"_Master…"_

Hades paused in his furious pacing, cocking his head to one side. The Hall was silent and mostly empty; he could not mistake the voice inside of his head for someone else. Though it was no doubt the result of being the son of a primordial deity, he had never quite known had Charon, his faithful ferryman, had acquired the power to speak with his mind. He was, however, grateful for it, as it meant they did not need to meet face to face upon the Rivers.

"Yes, Charon?" At that particular moment, he was glad for the emptiness of the Hall. Whomsoever passed by the throne room right then would surely think him mad, or at least, more insane than he already was.

The familiar hiss filled his mind again. _"There is a disturbance upon your shore of Styx…"_

Hades scowled. "What kind of disturbance?"

* * *

"HELP!" I jumped up and down, waving my arms. Someone had to hear me. Someone out there had to see me. There had to be _some_ way of getting away from this forsaken place. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

There was a noise to my right. I paused in my exertions, breathing hard, turning to glance at the source of the sound. I did a double-take, gasping and taking one large step backwards. "Oh…"

Cerberus was standing there, having clearly just been woken up by my shouting. The head on the far left wasn't even looking at me; it was gazing sleepily out at the rushing black waters of the River Styx. The head on the far right was yawning, rubbing its face against that of the middle head. The center head was staring right at me, its yellow eyes fierce.

I made what I hoped was a friendly face, bringing my finger to my lips, shushing him. "Please don't give me away." How could I convey that I needed to escape this dreadful place? "Please."

The dog ignored me. Slowly, the middle head's lips pulled back in a fearsome growl. The head on the right followed suit, as did the head on the left, until all three of its ferocious, enormous heads were growling at me. Drool pooled on the ground.

I held my hands up, taking another step back. "Now, Cerberus, dear… you remember me, don't you? From yesterday?"

The center head snarled more loudly than before, and I jumped with fright. All at once, all three heads began barking with great, booming voices that I was sure even Zeus could hear back on Mt. Olympus.

I screamed.

* * *

Hades heard the barking from his place in the throne room, and he could feel Cerberus' alarm brushing against his heart. "Damn," He growled, clenching his teeth. "Damn!" Rushing from the room in a swirl of black, he made his way out of the Hall. He called for his chariot, waiting at the steps for it to be brought by one of his servants.

Foolish girl! Why would she try to escape? It was impossible without him or Charon, and his ferryman would do nothing without permission. Had she even thought about what she was doing before she went tearing from his Hall? Had she even surmised that he and Cerberus might share a connection that was deeper than flesh? Stupid, foolish girl! To stand there yelling and carrying on, hoping someone might save her!

Hades almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Who was there to save her? Charon, whose body no longer knew flesh or blood? Perhaps one of Charon's brothers, the twins of Sleep and Death? No, the only one coming to her rescue in his gilded chariot was their stoic overlord, and the one god that she surely hated with everything in her. Hades smiled in a way that was more a grimace than anything. Such was the irony of all things.

One of his Faceless servants brought his chariot around, and before the servant had even left, Hades climbed up inside. Literally booting the servant out, and ignoring his squeals of pain, Hades snapped the reins, guiding his steeds out of the courtyard at a gallop. Yes, he was rushing to save her, when it would most likely be better for them both if she somehow managed to escape.

Perhaps _he_ was the fool.

* * *

I could hear the hoof beats before I even saw him. Hades, in his dark, mighty chariot, came tearing through the gates at full speed. The chariot almost tipped as the horses turned sharply. The wheels wavered at the edge of the river, sinking into the black mud. I gasped with pain as Hades hand closed around my arm, and he yanked me up into the chariot.

"Thank you," He said, breathing hard, and for the merest second, I imagined he was talking to me. His black eyes, however, were on Cerberus. The dog was no longer growling, but sitting primly and proudly, as if he had done some great service to his master. It was then that I realized he had.

_Traitor_, I thought, throwing the dog a dirty look. He ignored me, turning in a circle and laying back down beside the gate with a sigh.

Hades tightened his arm around me, and snapped the reins. Again, I was brought to the Hall in the chariot, but this time I was at the mercy of an angry God. He grabbed me by my elbow, and pulled me out of the chariot when we arrived at the steps. One of his silent servants took the chariot away, glaring at Hades as he did so. Hades ignored the glance, and instead steered me up the steps, pulling me along so quickly that my feet tripped over themselves.

"Will… you… let… go!" I yelled, shoving him away from me.

His face was shocked and enraged. He swung his arm back, as if to strike me, and I tensed, waiting for the blow. Instead, to my surprise, he picked me up and threw me over one shoulder. I shrieked, as the world suddenly turned upside down. I hit his back with my hands, but it didn't faze him at all. He kicked open the door to my room, and then I was promptly tossed upon the bed.

I lay there, stunned, my heart raging in my chest. What would he do now, I wondered. Fear pricked my skin when I realized my chiton had bunched itself up around my thighs; I could barely breathe as I met his steady gaze. Would he force himself upon me?

He only stood there, breathing hard, his teeth bared. "Do not try that again," He said harshly. "There is no way to escape from my domain, and I say so truthfully. If there is a next time, I will not be so eager to save you from my subjects."

Anger shot through me. _Save me?_ He thought _this_ was saving me? Keeping me a prisoner here, and forcing me to endure this hell? I would rather face his subjects! I would rather face whatever evils they beset me with then have to remain in his presence a moment longer! I sat up, glaring at him as I did. I rearranged my chiton, and I could tell by his lingering in the room that he expected me to say something. I said nothing. Instead, I spit at him.

He looked at the glob of my saliva on his chest a moment. Then, without a word, he left the room. I heard a key turn in the lock from the outside of the door; I ran to the door, trying to knob though I already knew it was useless. Now I really was a prisoner. I slapped at the wood, pounding it with my fists until my hands bled. Exhausted, I collapsed on the ground and sobbed.

It was hopeless. I was trapped, for I knew his words were true: there was no way for me to escape. I was doomed.

* * *

Hades slammed the door to his room. Grabbing the broken table from the floor, he picked it up and threw it across the room. It smashed into two pieces against the opposite wall. Snarling, he tore more of the curtains away from his battered bed, and ripped them to shreds with his nails.

She _spit_ on him! After he saved her from what could have happened. If Hades had not arrived to intervene, Cerberus would have taken that as an invitation to maul her, and he would have! How dare she, after he made room for her in his home. He had turned his entire world - his entire existence - upside down, and he had done it all for her. And this was how she repaid him? By spitting on him? Ungrateful wretch, she did not deserve his affections!

_That's not true_. Hades sighed, sinking down upon the edge of his bed. Nothing was going right. Only one day into their stay together, and already they were both angry and confused. _How will I make this work for the both of us? How can I make her love me as I love her?_

Standing, Hades walked to the corner. Upon a small table there was a vase, and inside of it was one single narcissus bloom. The very same one that he had used to spy on Persephone. He picked it up, holding it gently in his hands, before speaking clearly at it.

"Hecate."

The center of the bloom shimmered as if it were water, and opened like a door. Gazing through the folds of earth and darkness, he could see the goddess of witches walking calmly through a field. Her alpha hound, Kyrillos, was at her side, and he stiffened when Hades called through the fade to her.

"Hecate!"

Hecate paused, looking around. She made a face, planting her hands on her hips. "You're using that damned flower, aren't you?"

He nodded, before realizing she couldn't see him. "Yes, I am. I needed to talk to you."

She soothed Kyrillos, whose fur had stood on end. "Shush, darling, it's only Hades." She raised her head, looking around as if she imagined she could see him standing beside her. "I need to talk to you as well. I've heard some disturbing things lately, and I-"

Hades sighed. "They're all true, Dark Lady."

Hecate rolled her eyes. "As I'm well aware. I was going to ask, whatever possessed you to do such a thing? Are you completely mad?"

"Yes," Hades replied mournfully, slumping down against the wall in his room. "I love her, Hecate. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I was lost. I wish to worship the very ground that she walks on. I need her beside me if there is any hope for me to continue existing peacefully. My heart is absolutely smitten. "

"Your heart is absolutely foolish." Hecate's voice was tart. "Is she there now?"

"Yes. She's in her room."

"How kind of you, to give her a room to herself. I suppose you have some semblance of a plan, to make her love you in return?"

"Well," Hades said carefully, unsure. "Not really. I do not wish to marry her by force. I wish for her to feel for me as I do for her, but… it is not as easy as that, it would seem."

"Of course it isn't!" Hecate sighed, sitting down on the ground. "What happened?"

"Today, she tried to escape. She didn't know that she could not, but she ran from my Hall regardless, and found herself stuck on the shores of the River Styx. Then, because she couldn't think of what else to do, she started _shouting_. Screaming for someone to help her."

Hecate laughed. "She _didn't_!"

"She did! She made so much noise, she woke Cerberus from his mid-morning nap. Thinking she was an intruder, he became defensive. It scared her, and she started screaming some more. All of this commotion came to my attention, thanks to Charon, and I rushed down there just in time and saved her. And then, when we got back to the Hall, do you know what she did?"

"What?"

"She _spit_ on me. I told her not to try and escape again, and the chit spit on me! How is that for gratitude?"

Hecate sighed again, stroking Kyrillos' head lovingly as he lay with his body strewn across her lap. "Hades, I know you love her and that you're very lonely, but try and imagine just for a moment how she is feeling. The only life she's ever known is one of life and light, and staying faithfully at her mother's side. Suddenly, you've taken that away from her. I'm sorry, but it's going to be very hard for her to love you if she also hates you."

Hades' voice was flat. "So you're saying it's hopeless."

"No, of course not! But you're going to have to work very hard to erase the ill feelings between the two of you. She is probably very frightened, not only of you, but of her surroundings. Try and make things easier for her. If you look how I think you do, you might want to try and clean up. Comb your hair, shave your face, and do try to be _nice_ to the poor thing. She is only a girl after all. Clean up the Hall, too. I have stayed there before, and I know how cold and forbidding a place as that can seem."

There was a pause. Finally, Hades replied, "That's ridiculous. What's wrong with my appearance?"

"You've never had to see yourself at your worst, as I have. You look like a madman. No wonder she tried to run away. She probably thought you were going to try and kill her as she slept."

"I like how I look." Hades made a face at her, glad that she couldn't see him.

"Oh, stop sulking. The choice is up to you, but if you want her love, then I suggest you do what I say. I sometimes do know what I'm talking about, you know." He watched as Hecate and Kyrillos both stood. "I need to go now, dear, I have matters to attend to."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Hecate."

She bowed to the air in front of her. "It was my pleasure, Lord."

Hades set the flower back in its vase, as the image faded from its center. Hecate was a good friend of his, and he knew that she meant well, but he did _not_ look like a madman. And he would certainly not change himself for any brat who would spit on him, that much was certain, regardless if he adored her more than his own immortal life. If Persephone was going to love him, she was just going to have to get used to the brutish monster that was Hades.

* * *

Hecate looked down at Kyrillos. "Just you watch, love. He's not going to take my advice at all. He is _so_ stubborn."

She turned, and walked back across the field. As she neared a tree in the center of it, her feet could feel the change: the grass was dry and dead; it crunched underneath her toes. The earth was hard-packed and cold, and she shivered as she came upon the slumped form of Demeter. All of the leaves from the tree lay around her in a circle, having fallen victim to the goddesses' sorrow.

"Any news?" Demeter asked glumly, her voice devoid of all life and emotion.

Hecate's heart twanged. As much as she loved her dear friend Hades, he had done a very foolish, stupid thing to the world. He had broken not only one heart, but two. When she returned to the Underworld, she was going to give him the scolding of an immortal lifetime.

She knelt down in front of Demeter, taking her hands. They were freezing and clammy. "Listen to me, Demeter," She said solemnly. "I have work here that requires my attention, but after the Harvest Moon has passed, I am returning to the Underworld. While I am there, I promise you, I will take care of Persephone."

Demeter's eyes filled. "My daughter?"

"Yes, Lady. I swear to you that I will see she is all right."

Demeter closed her eyes, tears spilling down her wan cheeks. "Thank you."

Hecate watched with a heavy heart as Demeter cried harder, and the landscape around them began to wither and die. _And so a winter is upon us_, she thought morosely, _as the Heart of the Land dwells in darkness below_. She cast her eyes up to the sky, sending out a silent prayer: _Please let Persephone be all right. The fate of the earth depends upon it._

_

* * *

_**Thanks so much for all the favorites and the reviews! It means a lot to me :) Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of trouble juggling school, this story, the chapters I'm working on for the _Burning For You_ sequel, and my demanding World of Warcraft addiction, so the next chapter may not be up for a while. Just a heads up. **


	6. Giving In

Five

_**Day 4**_

Mid-morning.

Tired of sulking.

I wrinkled my nose, and decided I could use a bath.

Yawning, I pulled myself out of the bed, disentangling myself from the luscious blankets, and went to the washroom. It had been several days since I had bathed, and I was starting to feel the wear. The pool inside was already filled with warm water, and there were bathing salts that I could use to scrub the dirt off of my skin. I wondered briefly how all of that worked (Did servants come in while I slept? Or was the pool magickal?) before deciding that I didn't care, as long as I could use it.

I disrobed and eagerly climbed into the water, relishing the feel of it as it swept over me. I sat down in the pool, floating with my head above the water. It felt truly wonderful, to be able to just soak and forget where I was, and what had happened to me. I closed my eyes, and just lay there for a long time.

Finally, I grabbed a handful of the bathing salts, and began with my hair. The strands were dark, stained with some unholy substance or another. I scrubbed them fiercely, the wet strands clinging to my fingers. Rinse. There was no change. Nothing came off in the water.

Huh. That was odd. Why couldn't I get the black substance out of my hair? Surely it was only ash of some sort, something that had resulted from my coming through Erebus' veil…

I grabbed another handful and scrubbed harder, until my head stung and my eyes were tearing up from the exertion. I rinsed my hair again, checking the long tresses in my hands. They were still black!

The realization dawned upon me then. When I had come down through Erebus… the lily tucked behind my ear had turned to ash. Was it possible that my hair had turned black and dead, like everything else around me? I looked at my reflection in the water, gasping in horror. My eyebrows were black as well! _Black. Everything was black in the Underworld. _But what truly unnerved me, to the point of speechless shock?

_MY HAIR WAS BLACK._

I did the only thing that made sense. I took a deep breath,

And

I

screamed.

* * *

_**Day 14**_

Alone. Going mad inside my room. Pacing, worrying my lip between my teeth. Wringing fingers.

There was just one thing left to do. I had been dwelling upon it for the past few days, while pacing in my room and bemoaning the state of my once glorious hair. Because I could not escape, there was just one thing left for me to attempt: I was going to kill Hades.

I had not come to the decision lightly. I had fought over it for many hours, the obvious deception twisting in my brain. I didn't _want_ to kill him. My purpose was to give life, not take it away. But I could see no other way to escape, especially since he had said it was impossible.

But now, after sleepless hours spent pacing and plotting, I had come up with the perfect solution. Once he was dead, I could take not only his brooch that was clearly a key to the Underworld, but I could also escape using his chariot. After all, it could pass over the River Styx. I wouldn't need Charon at all, and I would be able to rush right past Cerberus without him trying to tear me limb from limb.

Simple.

And yet, not. How was I going to kill him? And with what weapon? I possessed nothing but my hands; in the mortal term of the word, I was a pauper, living out a life of luxury that had been given to me unwillingly. I wanted nothing of his, especially those rich clothes sitting forlornly in the wardrobe that stood in the corner of my room. I would remain in my soft pink chiton until it fell into ashes, for I had no doubt that it would one day; even now, the ends were frayed and tattered, stained gray by the excessive filth and desolation of Hades' realm.

After a fortnight in the Underworld, I developed a loose strategy of what I would do. When night fell - a truly black, completely inescapable night, as it was in the Underworld - I would escape from my room by shifting into a mouse. I would slip beneath the door, and out into the hallway. There, I would change back, and I would go searching for a weapon of some sort - most likely a knife. There had to be something somewhere. Then I would find his rooms, and slay him while he slept.

I prayed to everyone atop Olympus that when the time came, I would find the strength to push down, and end his miserable immortality. I prayed that I would be brave when I needed it most, so that I could return to my mother - and my freedom.

The night arrived just as tenebrous and tense as I had imagined. The Hall, which rumbled and screeched during the daytime with phantom noises, fell completely and utterly silent, to the point where I thought I might go insane for lack of sound. I paced my room endlessly, until I was certain that it was safe to leave my room.

My tiny heart beat erratically as I shifted into a mouse, and squeezed out from beneath the door. The hallway was cold and empty, just as I had imagined. Twitching my nose, I scurried across the stone, leaping over the cracks in the floor that would have otherwise been miniscule. Instead of heading for the entryway, like my heart was yearning to, I ran the other way, to the right of my rooms and towards the rest of the Hall.

The corridor opened up into an enormous, high-ceilinged room that I immediately deduced was the throne room. It wasn't hard to tell. The throne itself lurked ahead of me, carved from ebony stone and glittering with gems along the bottom. The braziers in the room were flickering with purple fire, but the flames were low, their crackling quiet, like whispers. No one else was around. Sniffing, I ran for the nearest door.

I found another hallway on the other side; it was lined with doors to rooms that I gazed at with a feeling of annoyance. So many doors, so many rooms. If he rarely had any visitors, then why did his Hall have so many rooms? What was the purpose of so much grandeur, if there is no one to appreciate it? It just becomes a cold, lonely wasteland, like the rest of the Underworld.

Slowly, I began checking all of the rooms. Most of them were entirely empty, with no furniture at all. One of them was what seemed to be a library, though it looked decrepit, like no one had gone inside for years. The books were a mess, in piles on the floor and strewn over tables and chairs, and the shelves were covered with inches of dust. Another room looked as though it belonged to someone: there was room full of furniture, and on a table inside there was a silver pentagram. Whoever it belonged to, it looked as if they hadn't been there in a very long time. I quickly moved on.

Finally, I found his rooms. They were at the very end of the corridor, and I hesitated as I slipped in beneath the door. If I had been able to, I would have gasped at what lay before me.

The room was in ruins. Everywhere there were pieces of broken furniture, like wooden table legs and splinters. The bed was broken, slanting downwards. The curtains around it had been slashed and torn, until only short remnants were left. In the corner, however, there was one piece that remained intact: a long, low table. On it was a black helmet, curling black horns spiraling from its sides; a black shield inlayed with silver and gold; a vicious looking sword with a glowing ruby set in the hilt; and his ram's brooch, the one that opened the gates to the Underworld.

My heart leapt at the sight of all of these things, especially the sword. That was what I could use. Imagine, killing Hades with his own sword! I felt terrible, knowing how humiliating that would be, but at that moment, my escape meant more to me than anything. My heart pounded with a ferocity that frightened me. Set in my resolution, I shifted back to my usual form as quietly as possibly, crouching by the door. My eyes cut to the bed. Unwillingly, my mouth opened in a silent scream.

He was there, on the bed. Naturally, I might have known he was there. I was, after all, sneaking my way into his rooms. But for some reason, the sight of him lying there, complacent in sleep, shocked me. Until that moment, I had never considered that Hades might actually sleep. Not all of us immortals do; some, however, choose to, and I imagined that Hades would. What would he do with all that time spent awake, anyway? It wasn't like there were many others there in the Underworld, besides me.

My heart was racing until the beating evolved into an actual physical pain, one where it pained me to draw breath. Sweat beaded on the skin of my face, as I hesitantly side-stepped as quietly as I could, not taking my eyes off of Hades for a moment. His eyes were closed, I reminded myself. He was not simply peering at me through half-lidded orbs, preparing to strike. His even breathing told me that he was truly asleep.

In the back of my mind, I could see my mother's face. I could see her heartbreak, as it was surely etched there in my absence. Gritting my teeth and keeping her image in my mind, I crept silently towards the table, reaching out for that gleaming sword.

Nothing was as important as returning back home to the only person I had ever loved.

* * *

A cave. Shadows whispered past the edge of what Hades could see, but he didn't turn his head. Instead, he leaned over the cool waters of the grotto there, listening to the soothing sound of trickling waterfall that gushed over the smoothed rock. Dimly, he could hear other voices, but he brushed them away.

He stared at his reflection, frowning at what he saw. There was nothing there, nothing to suggest he was out of the ordinary. Yes, his eyes were black and deep and fierce, but that was who he was. Did his younger brothers not have the same eyes, the ones that clearly marked them as siblings? And yes, his cheeks were sunken, and his skin was thin and stretched over his bones. True, he also had unruly black hair and a tangled beard. But did his brothers not have the same wild curls, in different hues?

So what was so terrifying about _him_?

Was Persephone frightened of him because of how he looked? Or because of who he was? On one hand, Hades was certain that he didn't look as bad as Hecate had said - he might look like Death in Persephone's eyes, but she had yet to be introduced to Charon. He _truly_ appeared as Death, all bones and grinning lipless mouth and staring, empty eye sockets. On the other hand, however… Hades, by no choice of his own, was the Lord of the Dead, and he had a deep feeling that Persephone's fear stemmed from that fact alone.

That brought about new questions. Was she afraid of him because of the legions of souls he commanded? Or because she was secretly afraid of that which she was unaccustomed to - Death, in its truest, rawest form. Never had she been forced to view mortality so closely before, and no doubt, it chilled her to know what fate awaited the mortals of the land of the living.

Hades sighed. Fear. He was sure he would never understand it.

There was a scuffing upon the stone floor to his right, and he glanced over. Morpheus hung on the blurry edges of the dream, leaning against a stalagmite, his arms folded over his chest. Hades could only see him clearly if he squinted, and when he did that, the dream wobbled, threatening to burst like a bubble if he moved too much.

"Quite a time it has been since I last laid eyes upon the Lord here," Morpheus said, his soothing voice breaking through the mist hanging above Hades' head. "You have not surrendered to my father in quite some time."

Hades nodded distractedly. "I have had no reason to sleep, thus no reason to inconvenience Hypnos." Without even realizing he was doing so, he sighed again.

"You are troubled, my friend," The dream-god replied quietly. "That much is blatantly apparent. Tarry a time with me here, in my world, and tell me of your woes."

Hades turned his eyes back to his reflection. "No doubt you have heard of my taking a bride?"

"Indeed, Lord." Morpheus cleared his throat. "If I may say so, I don't think there's a soul in the Underworld, alive or dead, who doesn't know by now." When he spoke next, his voice was faraway, as if he was locked in the throes of some memory. "Ah, the youthful Persephone. Often I have seen her here in my realm."

Hades managed to laugh. "Often I asked for you to spin her for me out of moonbeams and cobwebs, or whatever magick it is you use to show me all I wish for."

Morpheus scoffed. "Wishes. What do I know of wishes? No, Hades, I give to you dreams, as my father has taught me. After all, what would he do if the sleep he gave to all was empty? I provide the entertainment. I provide the prophecies." He shook his head, his short dark hair stirring in an absent wind. "Still, I wander from our subject, friend. You were speaking of your troubles. With your new wife, perchance?"

"My intended," Hades corrected. "We are not yet married. Not truly."

Morpheus' eyes were wide. "And yet you have dreamt of this."

"I have. But the fear she holds for me is greater than any love she might ever learn. I find myself at a loss."

There was a pause, a lull to the conversation. When Hades turned his gaze to the young god, he saw Morpheus' face was hesitant. He bit his lip, his brow furrowed in thought. "If it would help you," He said, sparing Hades a furtive glance, "I could speak with Chronos, in the hope of convincing him to divulge how this will all end."

Chronos. The eternal god of time. He could see not only into the future, but in the present, and into the past, all at once. To know what would become of Hades and his unwilling bride… his heart panged with the longing, the temptation to do what he knew would not be right.

Finally, after a moment of internal struggle, he hung his head. Slowly, he shook it no. "I am sorry, Morpheus, but I could not. To know the future… it is a weight that I could not bear."

Morpheus bowed his head respectfully. "Still, Lord, I felt the need to offer my services. It is not often that I am given the chance to."

Hades pondered that for a moment. How lonely he imagined it was for Morpheus, to great worlds filled with grandeur and monsters inside the head of mortals, and to be forced to watch from behind the veil, unable to reveal himself to any but those who share immortality… To see some of man's most intimate thoughts, and not be able to share in the unknown bond that they shared.

Looking at Morpheus was new eyes, he rose to his feet and offered what he hoped was a kindly smile. "Would you mind indulging me a while longer? I find your father has quite a hold on me, and at present I am not so keen to shake him off."

Morpheus beamed in return. "Then come. You look like you could use some idle chatter."

Hades nodded, certain that nothing could be closer to the truth.

* * *

The sword was heavy, much heavier than I had realized immediately. My fingers closed around the hilt, and I intended to raise my arms, but my hands slipped with the weight of it, and it crashed back to the surface of the table. I ducked down, and chanced a glance towards the bed. No sound. Nothing to indicate he had stirred at all.

I frowned as I stood, and gripped the sword once more. This time, I anticipated the weight and heaved it up. My arms trembled with the effort, but I could hold it. When the moment came, I was certain I could kill Hades with it.

I took two uneasy steps towards the bed, gazing at his face through the tattered curtains hanging around. He appeared locked in slumber, his face relaxed so that he appeared entirely non-threatening. I simply stood there and watched him for so long that my arms went numb.

What did a god such as Hades dream about, I wondered. What could possibly fill his head during those empty hours of inaction? I barely knew anything about him, so of course I couldn't even begin to comprehend what he might see when his eyes closed and sleep took him. Did he dream of his brothers, of books, of mortals, of the world up above? What could possibly entertain his mind whilst he drifted off into the realm of Hypnos?

I shook my head. Truly, it was no matter. What did I care? I wanted nothing to do with him, and so I would have nothing to do with him, once I finished him. I took another two steps, until I was standing over his prone form upon the bed. I raised the sword, and found my fingers were wrapped so tight around the hilt that they glowed white. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and I bit my lip.

How would I do it? Would I stab him through the chest? Would I slice him? The neck, I decided. I would slit his throat, and be done with it. I did not wish him to suffer anymore than he already did.

That thought stopped me, astounded me. I didn't? Yes, I was a creator of life, but he had abducted me. Didn't he deserve to suffer for what he had done? I found I couldn't answer that question. My mother might have said yes, that he deserved to burn in the Pit of Tartarus for all eternity, but she was my mother. She was supposed to say that. What did _I_ think? How did I feel about that? I knew that one. I didn't want him to feel any pain at all. I couldn't justify why I wasn't more vengeful; I could only express my desire to be free and back home as quickly as possible. If that meant killing him kindly, then so be it.

The sword wavered in my grip, and I steadied my hands. I brought the tip near his throat, until the shadow of the blade drooped over his pale skin, until the very edge of the sharp blade drew nearer and nearer…

* * *

The news came unexpectedly. One moment, Hades had been listening to Morpheus talk about the activities of his father's cave, only a short journey from Hades' Hall itself, and in the next, the dream-god had burst into a cloud of black smoke. The smoke hung over where the two of them had been sitting near the grotto in Hades' dream, twisting like some demonic entity. Hades quickly sprang to his feet.

"Morpheus!" He cried. "What is it?"

"My father - he is releasing you! Quickly, Hades, quickly! Open your eyes, let go of the dream!"

"But why?"

"Persephone! She means to kill you!"

No other words needed to be said. Hades closed his eyes in the dream-world, and felt the soft hands of Hypnos slowly let go of his mind. Shaking his body awake as quickly as possible, he urged his limbs into movement…

* * *

The very edge of the sword dipped low, until it touched the skin of Hades neck. I watched as it cut a small line. A tiny pearl of blood welled up and spilled over, dribbling down into the hollow of his throat. I gasped, distracted at the sight of his scarlet blood upon that white skin.

Just then, he shifted. His eyes opened, their black depths focused right upon _me_.

I screamed in fright, falling backwards upon the stone floor. Pain shot up my elbow as I landed upon it; my chiton twisted up around my knees as I tried to scramble, crab-like, away from him. The sword dropped heavily and loudly, spinning away from me. In an instant, Hades was on his feet, and he looked more enraged than I had ever seen him. His eyes were bright, and his brows were furrowed heavily.

"Why?" He roared, putting one hand to his neck. He looked at his fingers, looked at how they came away stained red. "Why would you even attempt it?"

"I…" I stammered, my teeth chattering from fear. Would he strike me? Pick up the sword and do what I was about to do to him? I deserved it, for even thinking I could achieve something so cowardly. "I want…"

"_Why_?"

"I want to go home!" I shouted suddenly, the emotion bursting from my lips.

He paused. Looked at me with narrowed eyes. The room was eerie with silence for a moment, as Hades tore another piece from the rotted curtains around his bed and used it to wipe the blood from his neck. He tossed it away; it landed beside me on the floor, and I couldn't help but stare. The red droplets of his blood had already faded from the fabric, so it appeared as though he had not used it at all. I turned my gaze back to him. "How?" I asked incredulously.

"I am a god," He replied, not answering my question. He laughed bitterly, picking up the sword. He trailed one finger over the blade, inspecting it with critical eyes. "Did you think it would be so easy?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I watched him as he crossed the room and returned it to its place upon the table.

"Well?" He asked, looking at me again. "You could not do it even if you tried, Persephone. You never would have been able to press down and drain the life from me."

I watched him warily from my place on the floor. "Why not?"

"Because that is not what you do." He looked away, back towards the bed. He was silent for a very long time after that, and I finally decided to pick myself up from the floor. My body throbbed when I stood, stemming from the bruise already blossoming on my elbow. I winced as I stood as tall as I could, throwing him a defiant look.

He didn't even turn. Instead, he just said, "It's late. You'd best get back to bed." Nothing more than that, except a pointed glance towards the door.

Fuming, I did as he said, marching from the room and slamming the door shut behind me. As soon as I was out of sight, however, I slumped back to my usual destitution. While I may have been able to assume a façade of bravado in front of him, I could not hold it up any longer than that. My last remaining chance of escaping had failed, for I knew his words were true: I could not kill him. I thought I had been able to, but when it came down to it, I was weak and afraid. And now I was trapped. I truly was a prisoner, doomed for all eternity. There was nothing else, no way to return to my mother. No hope. The only thing I could do now was… give up.

I slept not a wink that night, pondering the one remaining choice that seemed available to me. It seemed like there was nothing left for me to do but to give in entirely, and become Hades' queen.

* * *

_**Day 15**_

I slept for only several hours, waking continuously from nightmares of black eyes and fiery pits.

I woke to find a scroll beside my bed, on the floor. Without doing anything else, I leapt from my place immediately upon waking, ignoring the throb of pain in my arm, and seized it from the floor. I tore off its bindings, and rolled it open. In a messy hand, it said my presence was required in the Throne Room, by order of Hades, as soon as I was available.

I crumpled the parchment in my fist, frowning. What did he want from me? Had he realized the decision I had made, and decided that today would be the day we would officially rule alongside one another? My head felt light when I thought of that, and my stomach turned nervously. Was I ready for this? Surely not.

But as I had kept asking myself throughout the night, what else could I do?

Trying my hardest not to cry, I dropped the note to the floor and went to the wardrobe. If my presence was requested, it was high time I changed from the ratty, torn chiton that I had been wearing since the day of my… departure. Swallowing that word was hard; it tasted bitter going down, but I tried my best to ignore it. I was going to make the best of my situation, even if it killed me. I pulled a dark blue chiton from the wardrobe, and laid it across the bed. Next came a pair of black sandals and a silver strophion that I could tie just beneath my breasts. Shedding the last remnant of my life among the living, I gently placed the smudged pink fabric in the bottom of the wardrobe. It would stay there, as a reminder of the life I had left behind.

I bathed quickly, before dressing in the clothes I had laid out. I tied a length of silver cord around my middle once I was wearing the blue chiton, and I went back to the bath in the other room so that I could see my reflection. There was nothing I could do for the black of my hair, so I merely brushed it with my fingers and braided it into several simple plaits at the sides of my face and neck. Lastly, I placed a simple silver circlet upon my head; it was one of several that I had found inside the wardrobe.

I stared at my reflection in the water. I looked regal and queenly, as I was sure I was supposed to. I barely recognized myself. My eyes were tired and sad, and I looked nothing like I had while with my darling mother. I imagined this was how a mortal girl felt when she was forced to marry a man she didn't love. I felt as if I was staring at myself before my wedding, and questioning why this must happen to me. My heart felt drained of all feeling, and in my chest I carried a hollow ache that plummeted below my stomach like a stone.

So ends the life of Persephone, Maiden of Spring. So begins the life of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld.

I left my room in the middle of the morning, slowly making my way to the Throne Room. Truthfully, I was in no hurry. I felt as if I was walking towards my own doom, towards a funeral where I would find myself upon the pyre. Chills raced down my spine as I neared that fateful archway. As I did, I heard the distant sound of hushed voices; I could just barely make out what they were saying. There were three, maybe four men and it sounded to me as if they were in the thick throes of an argument.

"-he could hardly be considered virtuous, look at what he did to his family-"

"He was redeemed!" A second voice implored. "He journeyed far and wide, slew countless fiends-"

The first man spoke again. "Yes, but to kill one's own family! Even were he redeemed in their eyes, one could hardly consider his soul virtuous after all that. Imagine all of the death that his eyes have seen. Surely even he thinks he must be damned for all eternity. Throw him in the pit, and be done with it!"

"But to judge, Brother, without thinking of all the possible outcomes for him-"

"My mind is made up! Toss him into the pit!"

"Yes," A smoother, quieter third voice said. "I think we should give him to Tartarus. He would probably be much happier, thinking he had deserved it all along…"

"Who cares how he will be feeling? He'll be dead, either way-"

"Gentleman," A weary fourth voice said.

My heart sputtered. Hades. He was just there in the room beyond me, and now the three other voices present made sense. They were not men at all, not anymore at least. They were the Judges of the Dead. It seemed to me, however, that they were having a hard time doing their judging, and had taken their qualm to the Lord himself. I stopped short in the hall, hesitating. Would I be welcome among them? The debate sounded serious, and if they were busy, perhaps it would have been better if I did not bother them-

"As much as I enjoy hearing the three of you argue," Hades continued. "I have more pressing matters to attend to, such as the state of my honored guest, who is currently standing outside this room."

My heart very nearly stopped. He knew I'd been standing there the entire time. I bit my lip, looking around in a panic. What should I do? Was I so ready to face him, knowing the grave decision I had made to spend immortality at his side? My stomach turned tumultuously.

"Well, come in," Hades said. His voice sounded… amused. Was that even possible? "They might have eternity to spend dallying, but they do actually have work to do."

Slowly and carefully, I edged around the corner and into the Throne Room. It looked as it had the previous night when I had run through it as a mouse, albeit smaller now that I was a more normal height. The three of them stood there, each of them looking 'round at me. I gulped, taking in the faces I had heard so much about: Minos and Rhadamanthys, brothers, and Aeacus. All of them former kings, now dead, but still alive in glory. They wore gold around their fingers and upon their heads, and they each stood high and mighty, much taller than I. Hades, however, was the one my gaze was inexplicably drawn to.

He looked much changed since I had seen him the previous night. He was dressed in a stately black chiton, with his usual brooch holding his himation. His black hair was less unruly, and it appeared to have been combed. His beard had been trimmed so it was close to his face, and neat. He finally looked like the Lord I was sure he was, though his starless black eyes remained ever fixated on me. I resisted the urge to shiver.

"Judges, may I introduce Persephone, daughter of Demeter?"

The mention of my mother was like a spear shot straight into my heart. She would have been so proud of my composure, I was sure, as I nodded to each of the Judges, letting them bow before me.

"Beloved, perhaps you could assist us."

Each Judge flicked a glance towards their Lord, and I could already see the doubt that fill their eyes. Flushing slightly, and ignoring Hades' ridiculous pet name, I assumed what I hoped was a smile. "And how may I be of service?"

Was it a smile, or a grimace? I couldn't tell. Hades, however, appeared satisfied by it. He gestured lazily to his subjects. "They have a dilemma. You see, a mortal man murdered his family. He claims it was an accident - claims he was bewitched by a goddess. The ever-loving Hera, no less. The man spent the rest of his pathetically short life trying to atone for the murders. Now, Rhadamanthys here says the man has indeed redeemed himself. He believes that the man's soul should be sent to the Elysian Fields. Aeacus and Minos, however, believe his soul is tainted and should be sent to the Pit of Tartarus, where he may burn for all eternity."

"I heard," I said, sending Hades a dour glance. He only appeared more amused at my discomfort, so I instead turned my fierce glare upon the Judges. "You think he feels he is damned already, so why not just toss him in the Pit."

"Yes, Lady."

I could see Hades' smirk from above their heads. He was enjoying the show of me playing who I had already decided to be. He was enjoying that right then, at that moment, I was already doing what his wife would do for eternity. I was sorting out problems that the men themselves had no solutions to, and he was parading me around in front of his subjects, asserting what he already knew that I had decided. _He already knew_. Suddenly, I felt a rush of anger. Was there nothing that he didn't know? Was there nothing that he wouldn't take from me?

"If you are all too stupid to find a solution amidst all your bickering," I snapped, "Then leave him to a fate in the Asphodel Meadows. No matter if you think he is wicked or good, he will continue to suffer in his own disagreement with your ruling. In the Meadows, he may find his family. Then, he shall know peace."

The three Judges looked at each other, gauging each other's reactions to my words. Finally, Aeacus nodded. "It is an acceptable solution, and clever at that." He bowed once more. "Thank you, my lady. You have helped us greatly."

"Yes, yes," Hades drawled. "Be gone, now. That man is not the only soul that you must send on."

The three of them jostled their way from the room, returning to their home at the crossroads, where the new souls gathered to discover their eternal resting place. Awkwardly, Hades and I refused to make eye contact, alone together in the sudden silence. The last time we had been alone together, I had been trying (and failing) to kill him. I just stood there aimlessly, unsure of what I was to say, and Hades sat there inspecting his hands, looking bored with the morning's proceedings.

Finally, he looked over at me. "Your hair looks lovely."

I couldn't tell if he meant it or not. There didn't seem to be any emotion in the words. I put a hand to my plaits self-consciously, blushing. He was mocking me, I was certain of it. He knew I hated the black hair. He knew I had cried over it. I glared at him, lowering my hand as his lips twitched.

"I received a summons," I choked out from behind my clenched teeth. "What do you wish of me, my lord?"

"Don't call me that," He snapped. "I may rule here, but you are my equal. You are not a man, long since dead, and you are not a wandering soul. You are the daughter of an Olympian, and…" He slid a glance towards me out of the corner of my eyes. "You are my Queen."

I didn't dispute him. Instead, I hung my head, my hands clasped tightly in front of me. "As you wish-" The name stuck in my throat, until I was forced to cough it out. "Hades."

"Persephone," He said in return, rising to his feet. He stepped down from the throne, and walked towards me. "I think perhaps the two of us have… what's the expression? Gotten off on the wrong foot. I wish to make amends for what I have done to frighten you, as I wish only for you to be happy here."

This time, he sounded genuine. Was that why he had cleaned himself up? Because he wanted to make me feel better? Well, so far, it wasn't working. I still felt terrible. However, I nodded mutely.

"In that case, I was wondering perhaps if we might… try and make the best of the current situation? As I'm sure you've found, there's really no way out of it." His voice was gentle, surprisingly, but I wasn't comforted. Instead, a thought drifted past: _I want my mother_. I bit my lip, blinking past the emotions swelling to the surface. Again, I nodded.

"That's excellent. I am willing to propose that from this moment, we begin anew with a clean slate. Is that agreeable?"

Another nod.

"Wonderful! May I then ask you to sit beside me here?"

I looked up, confused. Then I saw it. How had I not noticed it before? It was a smaller throne to the right of Hades', made of the same black stone and inlaid with glimmering jewels. To sit beside him would be the final stage in my change. To sit beside him would signify I was giving in, and I would become his queen through that tiny gesture. _Try and make the best of the current situation_. No, I did not love him. No, I did not want to stay there with him. But I could learn to, perhaps, with time. I would adjust, as I knew I would have to.

"I will be your queen," I said. My voice was shaky and insubstantial in the enormous room. I made eye contact with him for the briefest moment. "But I will not be your wife."

His face hardened, but then he nodded anyways, like he knew I would say that. Perhaps one day I would be, but not now. Now I would simply rule beside him, afraid to take that final plunge that would mark the point of no return.

His hand was in front of me, and he was waiting for me to take it. Slowly, I did. His fingers were as cold as ice. He led me across the throne room, to the throne that was now mine. He sat down in his, watching me patiently as I hesitantly stared at mine. It looked forbidding. Finally, though, I couldn't take the staring, and so I sat down, at his right. Faithfully at his side. Holding in the screams that were threatening to overtake me, I leaned back and placed my palms flat against the arms. _This is it_, I thought. _Now, I am changed. Now, I am the Queen of the Underworld. _The knowledge was like the throne: cold, and hard. Like the rest of the Underworld, it swallowed me until I was no longer certain if I was a goddess, like Hades had said, or if I was just another ghost looking for a way home.

* * *

**I'm so sorry it took me this long to update! Your patience, however, is appreciated. This might have mistakes in it, because I didn't edit it as well as I should have, and you are welcome to point out any that you find. Thanks to all the readers and those who take the time to favorite and drop me some lovely reviews :) **


	7. River Ruse

**Disclaimer: An infant is killed later in this chapter, and it is implied that it will be eaten. If this sort of content will offend you, I suggest you skip that part or move on entirely. Thanks.**

Six

**_Day 16_**

Hecate brushed dirt from the stone altar in front of her, her fingers gently wiping away the years of disuse. Her heart felt heavy, as the pads of her fingers felt the familiar runic engravings that she had done herself. The entire altar was in a state of disrepair, the stones broken beneath her feet. Grass grew between them, almost all the way to her knees.

She looked out at the mountaintop with sadness. When had her people given up on her? When had her faithful following of witches stopped believing in the magic of the land? True, she had been gone for many months, but it was no longer than she was usually away. She had told the leader of the all-female tribe that she would return, and she had, only to find stagnation where there had once been life.

Kyrillos stood beside her, nudging her hand with his head. She let her fingers play over his ears, smoothing his fur away from his eyes. "What is wrong with the world, love?" She asked, looking down at him. "It seems each year, I fade more into legend. I think that some day, I will no longer leave the Underworld, and will instead remain a goddess of dead beliefs."

"Oh, I don't think that will happen," A voice said. "There will always be witches who will need you."

Hecate jumped, slapping her hand to her chest. Her heart raced beneath her palm. She stomped her foot, planting her hands on her hips. "Damn it, Hades! If you keep doing that, I'm going to stop talking to you!"

The voice came through the fade again. "I have to talk to you somehow!"

"You could announce yourself, you know." She sighed, shaking her head. "But it's no use talking to you, is it? You never listen to me anyways."

"But I have! This time, anyways…" He cleared his throat. "I did it, Hecate."

She frowned. "Did what, exactly?"

"I did what you said! I begrudgingly cleaned myself up, and I believe the two of us have actually made progress. We agreed to start over, especially after last night…"

It took Hecate a moment to realize what he was talking about. "Oh, you and Persephone. What happened last night?"

"She tried to kill me. That, however, is beside the point. I did what you said, and she has actually conceded to be my Queen."

Hecate frowned. "Am I mistaken, or did you just say she tried to kill you?"

"_Beside the point_." His voice was tense.

_Ah. Sensitive topic_, Hecate thought. _Moving forward..._ "Hades, this is wonderful! You have made progress indeed!" She clapped her hands, smiling widely for her absent friend. "When shall the two of you be married?" There was a silence, and Hecate realized her mistake. Her mouth formed a delicate 'o' of surprise, and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Hades. I should have realized…"

"Yes," He interrupted. "She has agreed to be my Queen for the time being, but she has not yet chosen to become my wife. Still," His voice raised an octave, and it was full of hope. "I believe that we've reached a milestone. And who knows what may happen now?"

"Yes," Hecate said softly. "Who knows?"

"Well," Hades replied promptly. "I must go. I have many things to attend to, now that Persephone is truly staying." There was a brief pause. "I see your sadness, Hecate, and I will say this: do not despair. Light can always spring from darkness, you'll see. When can I expect you back?"

Hecate looked over her shoulder, at the broken altar. "Perhaps earlier than usual, dear friend. I find myself with much less to do here in the Land of the Living. There is just one more thing I must do, before I return, but I should be there soon. Within the month, I expect."

"Excellent! I shall see you then. Goodbye, Dark Lady."

"Farewell, Lord."

Hecate stood still, waiting until Hades' presence faded completely. Then she looked up at the sky. It had turned a solid white while the two of them had been talking, and it was covered with thick clouds. A frigid wind blew by, tossing Hecate's hair about her face. She shivered, holding her arms tightly around herself. She walked to the edge of the mountaintop, looking down. Through a chilly fog, she could not see the village of witches that had once been proud to serve her.

Swiftly changing into an owl, she took to the windy skies, and dived down through the mystery surrounding all she had known.

* * *

**_Day 21_**

As I walked to the window for perhaps the third time that morning, I could feel Hades' eyes upon my back. I'm not sure why I kept going and looking out; nothing beyond the stone walls of Hades' hall ever changed. But I had nothing better to occupy myself with, so I stood for the third time and crossed the throne room to the window.

The stone felt good beneath my hands. It gave me something solid to cling to, and reminded me that I was indeed still alive. Sometimes, I wasn't sure. Sometimes I would forget, and have to take deep breaths, and remind myself that there was someone waiting for me on the other side. Like now. I closed my eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath, digging my nails into the sill of the window until it hurt. Slowly, I let out the breath, relaxing my tense body.

Tense. That was the word for it. Since I had agreed to become queen, things between Hades and I had been undoubtedly _tense_. I had begrudgingly agreed to start over with him, with a clean slate, but it was so hard to forget the events that had brought us together. And neither of us quite knew where we stood in terms of mannerisms and speech. Most often, we simply avoided one another entirely. It made things easier, for the both of us.

But then there were the times when we had to be together, like now. Each day, Hades held court in the throne room. More often than not, the Judges would come, having what seemed like a score of new problems every day. Other times, souls would come, and would ask things of Hades, or they would come seeking news. I did not enjoy seeing the souls who wandered in; they frightened me. Not all of them had the usual mournful voices, but every single one of them had the piercing, bottomless stare that seemed to go on for eons. They made me nervous. During those times, it was my duty, as Queen, to sit beside His Dark Majesty and pretend to be interested. It wasn't easy.

"You seem distracted, Persephone," Hades remarked conversationally. From somewhere distantly in the Hall, there was the sound of a great door being shut.

I opened my eyes, but didn't turn away from my place at the window. "Do I?"

He sighed quietly. "Come here. I'd like to show you something." There were footsteps behind me, and I tensed, before realizing he was walking away from where I stood.

I stared out at the gray landscape for just one more second, before heaving a tiny sigh of my own and turning away. He was standing on the other side of the room, his back to me. He was staring at something on the wall. I walked to him with my hands clasped in front of me, my head down. I stood beside him, but not close enough to suggest we had anything resembling trust.

"Look at this map."

Tentatively, I looked up. So that's what he was staring at so avidly. I frowned, leaning closer to inspect the landscapes that had been painted upon the vellum. At the very top, it said STYGIA. In the bottom left corner, I could clearly see the Hall. To the right of that was the Asphodel Meadows, where the dead are sent. In the very center of the map was the crossroads, where Hecate's altar was located. Beyond that, in the upper right corner was Elysion: the place where the Elysian Fields and Islands were located, where heroes of men and the virtuous dead rested.

I frowned, and pointed to the upper left hand corner. All that I could see there was blackness. "What's that?"

"The lair of Erebus. He is not to be bothered."

"Oh." I chanced a glance at Hades. I blushed as I realized he was no longer staring at the map, but at me. "Why did you show me this?"

Something that may have been a smile ghosted upon his lips for the merest second. "Persephone, I am not blind. I can see the tedium that the Hall brings you. You need not spend all of your time here, you know." He tapped the map with one long finger. "You may venture out into this world. I only ask that you do not cross the borders of Stygia."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what if I should cross the borders?"

His face became grave. "There are far more terrifying creatures dwelling here than me, and you will find all of them beyond our borders. I simply ask that you remain here, for your own safety."

Something worse than Hades? I almost shuddered in front of him, but checked myself at the last moment. Instead, I nodded. "I won't. I promise." To my surprise, I found myself smiling. I couldn't help it; I was allowed to leave the Hall! Finally, time away from that dreadful place, and Hades' boring courtiers. I couldn't wait.

I hurried to the archway leading from the throne room as quickly as I could while still remaining dignified. Before I left, I stopped. Turning slowly, I looked back at Hades. He was looking at the floor with a bemused expression, his thoughts further than I could follow.

I cleared my throat. "Hades?"

His black eyes rose to my level. "Yes, my dear?"

I bowed my head respectfully. "Thank you."

He nodded curtly, gesturing for me to leave. That was good enough for me.

I didn't hear the sad sigh that he emitted as I left the throne room, running out into the weak light of the Underworld.

* * *

**_Day 27_**

Often I wondered what it would be like to be a mortal. How each moment would be so precious, because time itself would be against me. How it would feel to actually live throughout the days and months that passed, without simply buzzing through them like a bee; there in one instant, and gone in the next. How it would feel for any one of my actions to actually _mean_ something.

There was absolutely _nothing_ to do in the Underworld. Hades had forbidden me from traveling beyond the borders of Stygia, the place just beyond the Gates. Each day, longing for some sort of comfort, I would leave the Hall and go for walks around the permitted area. But there was nothing for me to do but stare around at the bleak landscape, wishing I was anywhere but there. What could I have done? Visited any of the resting places of the dead? And do what with them, exactly? Talk to them? Dull. Go bother Erebus? Even worse, as he was rarely there. Go to the crossroads? Never. The Judges held court there, and I saw enough of them already.

So, what? What was I to do, to fill the endless days? What could I do but go down to the River Styx and sit with Cerberus? In the days that passed, we became great friends. Really, he wasn't as terrifying as he seemed. Truly, he was just a large puppy. Most days, I would sit beside him in the black sand, stroking all three of his heads in turn and watching the waters of hate roar by.

On those days, I would try not to stare each time Charon would drop someone off, but it was hard not to. Besides the obvious reason that he was ferrying souls across from the Land of the Living, he was also an oddity that captured my interest. He never spoke, at least, not to me, and I once got a glimpse of his face. To my horror, I discovered it was skeletal. After that, I lowered my gaze and left him alone.

Other times, secret times, I would wander the barren land and do the one thing that I was certain would make Hades angry. I grew things. It was much more difficult than above, in the Land of the Living, but after the first few times, I found myself to be even more adept at it than before. As I was in the Land of the Dead, creating life took much more effort, but it gave me something to keep my mind off my predicament and it gave me something to do while the days flew by.

At first, it was just simple flowers. After all, who wants to see the same boring hills every day? I was tired of their colorless faces. So first, I made daisies, in every bright color I could think of. Then came carnations, in explosive reds and yellows. After that I grew soft purple violets; vivid orange tulips; dainty white lilies; bubbly pink chrysanthemums. The only flower I refused to grow was narcissus. It wasn't because my feelings had changed for the flower, but because many of them grew already, especially by the River Styx. It had something to do with the border between the two Lands being thinnest there.

As I secretly grew flowers one day, I conceived the idea that changed everything. I wanted a place to go, a place where I could be reminded of my life above. I needed a place where I could lay and braid my hair and sing songs that my mother had once taught me. I needed a sanctuary where I could go in the hours when I wasn't needed at the Hall. I decided to create myself a meadow; it would be something that Hades could never take from me.

I made it beyond the Asphodel Meadows, just on the border of Stygia there. I rose trees from nothing but gray dirt and ashes, I grew green grass that was soft to the touch, and I created a small pool of water, full of floating water lilies. Among the grass I placed daffodils that made me smile each time I laid eyes upon them. I could not change the windless air, or the gray sky, but I could have color and beauty at my fingertips, just as it had been in the Land of the Living.

And so, each day, I would sit in my meadow and weave daisy chains and tell myself stories. Each afternoon I would leave my fragrant friends, and I would brush the grass and the petals from my peplos, and I would return to that cold fortress and endure another night of dreams, wishing things were different.

* * *

_**Day 28**_

Hades knew, without even watching Persephone, that she had become great friends with Cerberus. He could feel it each day through the connection the two of them shared, heart to heart. He could feel the joy that was Cerberus', when she arrived to spend time with him. It thrummed upon the line, straight into Hades' heart like an arrow. He closed his fists tightly, and reminded himself not to blame Cerberus. It was not the dog's fault that Persephone loved him, and not Hades.

But it did feel good to pretend that the warm happiness in his heart was his own. He could close his eyes, and feel the tresses of Persephone's midnight hair slipping through his fingers. He could smell the scent of her rain-kissed skin, and could see the secret, shy smile she shared with him. Only him.

But then he was reminded she did not belong to him. Neither did the jubilation that he felt in his heart. Yes, they had been adjusting well to their lives together, but nothing was as Hades wanted it to be. She did not trust him, and did not wish to know him further. She did not want to love him, it was as plain as that.

Hades closed his eyes, shaking his head. _Thrice-damned fool,_ he thought. _Envious of a dog._

Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

* * *

_**Day 32**_

The endless walks in the middle of the day made my feet hurt, but they were welcome. It gave me a chance to get away from that empty Hall, and from Hades' sad eyes.

Instead of walking towards the Asphodel Meadows, towards the meadow I had made myself, I decided upon another route. Why should I limit myself? Why should I walk the same path every day? I decided instead, after visiting Cerberus, to investigate the crossroads. I reminded myself to keep out of sight of the annoying Judges, and made up my mind, bustling down the dirt road that led away from Hades' hall.

There didn't seem to be any change in the weather there. The sky was a constant gray, and I looked up at it apprehensively. Often I wondered if it would rain, but so far, it hadn't. Just dismal gray tones, folding in over one another, cascading against my eyes like living sorrow. It seemed there was no escape; my meadow was the only place I could truly find solace.

But today I was venturing away. My curiosity had gotten the better of me, and so I braved the black and white world to see what the crossroads were really like.

The further I traveled down the road, the darker it seemed to become. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself tightly, and pressed on. Soon, braziers began to line the road, but instead of the usual purple fire, these held flickering blue flames. They gave the entire area an eerie, ghost-like appearance, and I felt a trickle of fear slip down my spine. _I should not have come_, I thought to myself. _I should not have come this way_.

The road seemed to stretch on and on. Finally, just when I thought I might turn back, I saw something up ahead. I squinted; what was it? It was moving as I was. I hastened my steps, until I came close enough to see what it really was. When it slid into focus, I gasped.

It was a person, or a spirit of a person. It was a young woman. There was a haze over her, a shiny white veil that seemed to hang over her like gauze. It made her shimmer with movement, and her white hair (which could have been any color in life) blew around her head, despite the lack of wind. She turned at the sound of my gasp. Her eyes were a glimmering silver as if she was blind, and so devoid of any emotion that I felt my heart plummet into my stomach from just staring at her. Clumsily, she curtsied. "My Queen," She mumbled; her voice held an echo.

There were more like her. I could see them, walking ahead of the two of us. They wandered down the road, their bodies glowing like fire-bugs. They traveled on and on, until they faded from sight, and I realized they were all making their way to the crossroads, to receive their final judgment.

The woman was still staring at me. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words would come out. I did the one thing that my mind had been screaming to do since it had become darker. Body shaking with horror, I turned and I ran. I ran until the air around me was no longer black, and I ran until I couldn't see any more of the spirits down the road. I ran until my lungs burned, and my legs trembled with the effort to hold me up. And even then, I kept going. I kept going until I literally almost plunged headfirst into the River Acheron.

I slowed to a halt, my toes digging into the mushy black sands there. My arms wind-milled, and I fell backwards. I lay on the bank of the river, stunned, for a long while. I remained there until my heartbeat slowed to a normal pace, until I could breathe without pain, and until the sky stopped spinning above me. The water in front of me was comforting, surprisingly; it churned and bubbled as it sped along, and I sat up, feeling much better.

I turned my head to the left, and gazed at the stout walls surrounding the Hall. I was behind it, and I could see that even less attention had been given to the landscape as the entrance had. I sighed, shaking my head and looking back at the water. Though I was capable of breathing again, my mind was whirling. Death was a terrifying prospect, and I heartily - and silently - thanked Zeus and my mother for my immortality.

I leaned forward to inspect my reflection in the shallow waters. My hair was still black, but that wasn't what caught my attention. I was pale, and my face appeared drawn. When I had lived above with my mother, my skin had been a delightful gold from my days spent in the sun. Now it was a waxy white, and my eyes seemed bruised. All of me seemed bruised, I noticed. I sighed again. If Hades saw me, he'd bother me for the rest of the day, worrying. Still, there was no way to avoid it, so…

I stopped. Frowned. Leaned closer. Was I imagining things, or had I just seen my mother's face flicker over mine? Could it be? Or was my hopeful mind playing tricks upon me? My heart skipped a beat, racing through my chest like it had never even slowed. No, I wasn't seeing things! There it was again! "Mother?" I whispered, daring to even ask.

Suddenly, the water stilled until it became as smooth as glass. Turning from a dark black, color spread over the surface: light blues and brazen golds, until I realized I was seeing a field beneath a stretch of sky. My mother was there, dancing in the field. To my surprise, she was _laughing_. Laughing and singing. My frown deepened. She rarely did either of those. She only sang if I asked, and she only laughed if I did something truly funny. Never did she do any of those things without me, so why…?

Suddenly, she spoke. "Oh, I'm so happy I've gotten all of my work done," She trilled cheerfully. "I simply don't know what to do with myself! I have so much time to myself, now that Persephone is gone." My heart plummeted into my feet, but she kept going. "What a bother that girl was! I am so much happier now that she's gone. Why couldn't she see before what a burden she was to me?" As if she knew I was watching upon the surface of the water, she stopped and looked up, her face angled towards me. Her words were dark and serious. "I hope she never comes back."

"No!" I cried, leaping to my feet. It couldn't be true! Was this what she had always secretly thought of me? A child she had never wanted, and a burden that hindered her every move? She was glad I was gone! I had heard her myself; she didn't want me to come back. She was happier _without me_. My heart broke into several pieces, and I began crying. "Mother!" I called to her, but she couldn't hear me. She resumed singing, her smile stretching on for miles like that breathtaking sky. With a sob, I grabbed a handful of gray rocks and threw them at the surface of the water. The image shattered, and I turned and ran back towards the hall, tears streaming down my face.

I ran up the steps, and down the hall, sobbing as I went. When I reached my room, I flung myself inside and slammed the door behind me. I fell upon the bed and wept, my cries muffled by the fabric of my pillow.

Not long after, there was a knock upon the door. "Persephone?" It was Hades. No doubt he had heard the echoes of my tears. I ignored him, and kept crying.

There was a second knock. "Persephone, what's happened? What is the matter?"

"Go away!" I cried, my voice wet and thick.

Through the door, I could hear his sigh. "Persephone, I'd like to help, if I can…"

I sat up. That gave me an idea. I wiped the tears off of my cheeks with the backs of my hands, and went to the door. Sniffling, I tentatively opened it. He was standing there on the other side, not so imposing; rather, he looked alarmed and unsure at the same time.

"What is the matter?" He asked again.

I opened the door wider, inviting him inside. He followed me in wordlessly, and I sat down on the edge of the bed as he closed the door. I looked down at the ground, wringing my hands in my lap. I hadn't given myself much time to think, and now I was suddenly nervous.

"Persephone?"

_Just do it_, I thought to myself. _Your mother is happier without you. You have nothing left up there anyways_. I rose to my feet, and walked over to him. I offered him my hands, but he didn't take them. He appeared confused, as if he didn't know what I was doing. I took a deep breath. Against my will, more tears splattered down my cheeks. "Hades, I want you to have me."

He stared at me, his black eyes unblinking, his entire body motionless. He said nothing, only watched the trail of a single tear as it dripped off the edge of my jaw and disappeared somewhere on the floor. Finally, he shook his head, and said with a small, disbelieving laugh, "What?"

I grabbed his arm. It was the first time that I had ever willingly touched him, and he flinched. His skin was cold, but not to the point where I was uncomfortable. It warmed under my fingers. "It's not a laughing matter!" I exclaimed, wiping my face once more with my free hand. "Do it, Hades. I'm offering you my body."

"And I am respectfully declining," He said tersely, pulling his arm out of my grasp.

Now it was my turn to stare. "What?" It had occurred to me that he would refuse.

"You heard me. You are tired. You're not thinking clearly. You don't know what you're asking." He turned to leave. I grabbed his muscular shoulder, and yanked him back towards me. His black eyes were wide with shock.

"What is the matter with you?" I asked, angry. "Consummate it. Make me your bride. I will no longer offer you any resistance. Take me."

A whistle of cold breath escaped through his clenched teeth. "No."

"Why not?"

"I would not have you like this!" He looked away. "I know what it is you saw in the River Acheron, Persephone. I am the lord here, and I know everything that goes on."

"Then why will you see me suffer? I am giving myself to you, Hades!"

"And I refuse!" He shouted.

I backed away from him, glaring at him. Anger was burning deep in my belly, and I wanted to hit something. Why wouldn't he just take me, and get it over with? My mother was happy with my absence, and so there was no longer any reason for me to return to the Land of the Living. So why wouldn't just make me his bride, so I could live out my life in the darkness, blissfully ignorant of my former life?

"So that's it, then," I remarked bitterly, drawing my eyes up towards him. "You would only steal me away, like a coward."

I expected him to be angry, to strike me and forbid me from ever saying such things again. He didn't. Instead, he nodded. "Yes. Like a coward. But I cannot walk upon the Land of the Living."

I licked my lips. "You stole me for a reason, then, did you not?"

"I did."

"And what was that reason?"

"I love you!" Hades snapped. "I did from the moment I saw you, and I always will. And if your next question is why, know now: it's because I am a fool."

I ignored his last statement. "You desired me. You saw me there, picking flowers with the nymphs, and you felt lust for my body." I stared at him defiantly, daring him to disagree. I was disappointed.

"Yes, I did. I still do." He sighed, as if he were patiently explaining things to a child. "It's because I love you."

"Then take me!" Madly, I reached for the pins holding my peplos; there was one at each shoulder. I yanked at them, trying to loose the fabric.

Hades lunged forward and grabbed my wrists. "Stop it, Persephone! You are out of your mind!"

"And if I am?" I shot back. "Was this not your intention?" I jerked away from him, trying to pull out of his strong grip, but it was impossible. His nails dug into my skin, and if I hadn't been frantic, I might have felt the pain.

"No!" He yelled.

"Do you desire me?" I snarled. I could see myself reflected in his eyes, and didn't immediately recognize myself. My hair was billowing about wildly, and my eyes were flashing; I seemed possessed by fury.

Hades' eyes changed, and became full of regret. "Yes."

"Would you have me? Would you marry me, and claim the body given the consent you seek?"

"Given the consent, yes."

"Fool!" I cried, thrashing about wildly in his arms. "You have the consent; now do it!"

In a flash, he swung out with one hand and struck me. It stung viciously for just a second, before dulling to a throb. I immediately stopped, putting a hand to my cheek. It was warm. My heart was hammering wildly, and as I gazed around, I suddenly felt very weak, my head light. I blinked several times, trying to clear my mind. What had just happened?

"Now," Hades said calmly, his voice low. He dropped my other wrist; I let my arm swing to my side limply. "Calm yourself. I know what it is you saw the waters of Acheron. You believe this vision to be true. But that is where you are mistaken." He sighed, taking me by the wrist, and gently guiding me back towards my bed. He sat me down. "The River Acheron is filled with the waters of pain and sorrow. It reacted to you - after all, you are the Queen - and it showed you what would cause your heart the most sorrow. That is not what has come to pass, but merely your own fears reflected against you."

"She does love me?" I asked softly, my voice hoarse. "She wants me back?"

"Fiercely."

I slanted a glance at him through the curtains of my ebony hair. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

He sighed. "I have seen her, Persephone." He held up a hand as I opened my mouth excitedly. "No, I will not tell you how, and no, you are not permitted to see her yourself. It doesn't work that way."

A silence descended over us. I sniffled several times, before finally tucking a strand of my hair behind one ear so I could see him clearly. He was looking off somewhere distant, somewhere I couldn't see. I briefly wondered what it was he saw - before he turned his gaze back on me. I watched, frozen, as he raised his hand. His fingers lightly grazed the skin of my cheek, touching the mark he had caused. I closed my eyes, surprised at how nice it felt to have his cool skin upon my warm cheek. And then just like that, I felt his presence lift from the bed. By the time I had opened my eyes, he was gone, the door shutting quietly behind him. I raised my hand back to my cheek, certain that I had just imagined the touch.

I laid down on my bed, curling up tight against the blankets. I couldn't even begin to describe what had happened. Instead, I made a note in my head to stay far, far away from the River Acheron, and to not believe everything that I see. I was just beginning to ponder Hades' unusual actions - and how embarrassing it would be to face him the next day - when I slipped off into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

Just one thought followed me into slumber: if Hades claimed my mother "fiercely wanted me back", why wouldn't he just return me to her arms?

* * *

"Ah…" There was a cackling from somewhere to Hades' right. He turned slowly, his eyes falling upon the fluid form of Lamia, as her scaled tail slithered out of the cave behind her. "To what do I owe this dark pleasure, my lord?"

Immediately after the altercation with Persephone, Hades had gone to his room and broken more furniture. He was furious and frustrated; no matter what he did, she did not trust him. No matter what he said or did for her, she still remained aloof and distant. No matter what, it seemed as if everything would always come back to her mother. Would she ever forget the life she had once lived? Could she not be satisfied with the life he was offering her? Hades knew then that this went beyond him. He needed advice from someone outside the walls of his Hall. Then he had donned his himation and his infamous Helm of Darkness, procured an offering, and had swiftly left the Hall. He had traveled for hours into the deep swamps of the Underworld, before reaching Lamia's home. He needed guidance, and he knew her cursed eyes could see more than just the realm around them.

Once, perhaps she had been beautiful. Before she had fallen in love with Zeus, and incurred the wrath of his wife, Hera, anyways. Hera had cursed Lamia, and killed the children she had borne of Zeus. Grief-stricken and alone, the poor woman was cast out. Hades had taken pity on her, and had offered her a place in his realm. Not long after, Zeus took pity on Lamia as well, and gave her a gift of removable eyes, so she could finally rest without having to see the dreadful burden the Queen of the Gods had bestowed upon her.

The ghost of her beauty still lingered upon her torso and face. Her high-cheekbones were still elegant, and her eyes were still large and blue (they were pretty when they were in their rightful place, inside her head). But her skin had turned a dull gray, and she looked more hollow than beautiful. There were lines around her blackened lips, and her hair had long since become lank. She slithered towards him, raising herself up on the serpentine tail that she had been given by Hera.

"Lamia," Hades said quietly. "I come for your wisdom."

She smiled grimly. Her teeth were pointed, and stained with blood. "I live to serve you, my lord. Have you brought an offering?"

Hades stoically raised the brown sack that he held in one hand. As he did, whatever was inside squirmed. A muffled wail rang out across the barren swamp. Lamia's eyes lit up with delight. She took the bag, reaching inside. With one clawed hand, she pulled out a baby by its leg. It writhed in her grasp, its face puckered in pain and annoyance. It cried louder. She frowned as she held it up higher to inspect it, noticing its spindly limbs and small, newborn body.

"A petty morsel," She remarked out loud. Catching the way Hades' expression darkened, she added, "But one that is more than sufficient. I thank thee, O Gracious Lord."

He nodded, watching as she slid the babe back into the bag. It squealed, kicking its legs more fiercely. He watched, eyes dull with indifference, as she grabbed its round head through the fabric and twisted its neck. The snap was small, barely that of one stepping on a twig. It stopped screaming, and it certainly stopped moving. Satisfied, Lamia turned her attention towards Hades, curling her tail around the motionless sack. Her piercing blue eyes returned to him.

"How may I assist you?"

"I will be blunt with you, Lamia." He said, tucking his himation closer around him. "I intend to make Persephone my bride, but her thoughts are constantly turned to the mother she has left behind, and the life I stole her away from. I find it tiring. What can I do to expel these thoughts from her mind?"

"You want her to be your bride?" Lamia shrugged. "Just take her. Spill her virginal blood and claim her. You are a God, Hades. No one shall trouble you. You answer only to one, and he certainly has no room to object. We all know of _his_ conquests." Her eyes flashed at the mention of Zeus.

Hades stared. She had grown cold and cruel in her monstrosity. With her beauty, it seemed her humanity had left as well. He shook his head. "I could not even attempt it." _She's just a girl_.

Lamia shrugged once more. She didn't care. "Fine. I have another way, an alternative. You most likely will not like this one, either." She didn't make him wait long. "Your annual Walk of the Dead is swiftly approaching, lord." At his look of surprise, she laughed mirthlessly. "I may be a recluse, but I know this land and its events. On the Walk, simply take her with you. When you visit Hypnos in his cave, trick her into drinking from the River Lethe that flows through it. She will then forget everything she has ever known, except being your Queen here in the Underworld."

Hades pondered her suggestion. It was true, that if she drank from the River Lethe, she would forget everything. Then he could be there, to conveniently fill in the blanks of her life. Then all she would know was being his, and she would become his wife, in more than just title. It was actually a sound plan. Hades cursed himself; why hadn't he thought of it before?

"The idea has merit," Hades admitted. "I will attempt it." He bowed graciously. "I thank you, Lamia, for your advice."

She gripped the brown sack tightly, holding it up in response. "And I thank you, lord. Farewell."

He nodded curtly at her, before donning his helmet of invisibility once more and speeding back towards the Hall. He had much planning to do, because what Lamia had said was true: the Walk of the Dead _was_ on his doorstep. He hadn't even remembered, having been too engrossed with his pursuing Persephone. Now, he was doubly preoccupied. Plans and schemes hung over his head like clouds, and a dozen different things he had to do flashed in his mind. One thought kept his mind particularly busy as he returned to the Hall:

_How am I going to convince Persephone to journey with me across the whole of the Underworld, alone?_

_

* * *

_**I'm so sorry for the long wait! Anyways, here it is. Longest chapter I've ever written, I think. For those of you who don't know, Lamia (or the lamia, as she's sometimes known as a _type_ of mythological creature) eats children. I guess that is sort of blazingly obvious, but I thought I'd state it anyways. Anyways, if you're wondering what the Walk of the Dead is, you'll find out in the next chapter, which I'll hopefully have up much sooner than this one! **


	8. Walk of the Dead

Seven

Demeter had not seen death until that moment. She had not felt such a chilling emptiness until she stood, motionless, staring at the form of a dead farmer.

How dreadful was mortality. Life was so easily snuffed out when placed in a deity's hands. Once, when he had been alive, she had helped him plant his crops and provide for his family. Once, she had even enjoyed his company, though he was mortal and inescapably dull. Now his cheeks were a marbled blue, and his lips were frozen in a purple 'o' of surprise. His soul would no doubt be on its way to Hades.

She looked up, walking away from him. The landscape had once been full of light and color. Now, it was all shades of gray, all seen through a fog of despair. _My daughter_, she thought woefully, her fingers curling into fists. _Life will return to this world when my daughter returns to mine._

A frigid wind blew by, freezing the tears that stained her cheeks. Softly, so that she barely felt it, one tiny snowflake fell from the sky and landed upon her arm. Eerily silent and windless, the world continued to die.

* * *

Dead. The witches of the all-female tribe had stopped keeping up Hecate's altar because they were all dead.

She backed out of the doorway of one hovel, her stomach turning unpleasantly. They were all frozen. Their hair had become strands of icicles, and their fingers broke off when Hecate reached for them. They were all dead, locked in frostbite, their lips purple with the cold.

She stumbled out, back into the village. It was empty, and swirls of frosty wind swept into the gaping doorways. Not a soul breathed but Hecate. What was going on? What was happening with the world?

Something wet and cold hit the corner of Hecate's left eye. She flinched, bringing a hand up to her face. Her fingers came away slick with water, as if she had just cried one single tear. But she hadn't. Another one hit her wrist, and then another on her neck. What was this?

She looked up. The sky was a dull gray, and suddenly very strange white things were falling. Bits of the clouds? She inspected one as it drifted down to the skin of her hand. It seemed fluffy, until it touched her skin. Then it melted into water. She licked it; her tongue darted out and caught the droplet. Water. Snow. It was snowing.

Winter had crept upon the world, an icy desolate monster like nothing Hecate had ever seen. As soon as she pondered that, she knew. This was Demeter's doing. Ever since Persephone had been taken, Demeter had been in a depression. Now, her feelings were undoing the world. Hecate gaped, shaking her head soundlessly. It seemed too much to believe. _How_? How could Demeter be killing all the life that she had once sought solace in? How could she not realize what was happening? Furthermore, why wasn't Zeus doing something about this? How could he stand by and watch it all happen?

Hecate closed her mouth tightly, shaking her head again. No. Something had to be done. She was not going to stand by and let the world she knew and everyone in it suffer because of Hades' rash decision. _I will go now to the Underworld_, she thought, drawing her himation tighter around her shoulders. _It cannot wait another day_. _The fate of the world - _our_ world - depends upon it_.

* * *

_**Day 46**_

I narrowed my eyes at Hades as he rose from his throne and walked towards me. "What do you mean, we're going on a journey?"

The Judges had just left, after another scintillating argument that they had brought to Hades himself. As soon as they were gone, I had risen from my seat, with every intention of leaving the Hall and disappearing into my meadow for several hours. Hades, however, had other plans. He had spoken just as I reached the center of the throne room, and had said something about a journey.

Already, I could tell him that he was mistaken. I would be going nowhere with him; certainly not on any journey. I didn't even want to _look _at him for longer than I had to, so why would I be interested in going somewhere with him? I was completely mortified after what had happened between the two of us two weeks prior. Each time I closed my eyes, I could remember the way I had thrown myself upon him, desperate for something that would make the pain vanish. To think I would have _used_ him so… I felt sorrier for Hades than myself, which only made me more confused. I wasn't supposed to feel _anything_ for him. As far as I was concerned, he had done everything within his power to ruin my life.

"I mean," Hades said, stepping lightly over the stone. His hands were clasped behind his back. "A journey around my realm. You see, Persephone, every year I have taken it upon myself to travel and inspect the farthest reaches of my domain, to ensure everything is working cohesively. As my Queen, it would only be fitting for you to accompany me."

"But you said there are terrifying creatures beyond the borders of Stygia." I narrowed my eyes at him. "You said I shouldn't leave."

His lips quirked upwards. "You will be with me, and therefore well protected." He paused. "I only wish to familiarize you with your home. It will not take long."

I bit my lip, digesting his words. A journey around the whole of the Underworld with none other than Hades. It could not be so bad… and even better, it gave me the chance to run away. I wouldn't be able to escape, as I had already discovered, but it could give the both of us time to lick our wounds. He, after all, was surely burdened by my presence, and the memories clinging to me like a fine mist. I could also use some time away from him, time in which I could discover what it was that I wanted, and if I could somehow convince him to take me home.

"Fine," I said briskly. "I'll come with you. When do we leave?"

Surprise was evident upon his face. "Well, that was much easier than I thought it would be. Is a week time enough for you to prepare yourself?" Hades asked kindly.

I nodded. I would not need much. After all, it would just be a journey around the Underworld. How long could it take? A week? Perhaps two? No, I would be fine with a small pack of provisions.

As I left the Hall, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of feelings. I still felt sorry and embarrassed for the ordeal I had put myself and Hades through, as a result of my own naivety. But I also felt… curious. I had done as he had instructed, never venturing beyond the borders of Stygia. But now I was about to embark on a trek that would take the two of us traipsing all over the forbidden lands. I could only imagine what we would see. Could there be a place hidden in the far reaches of the Land of the Dead that was better than this?

I could only hope.

* * *

_**Day 53**_

I wrinkled my nose, staring at Hades and the curious creature he was leading by a tether. "What is _that_?"

He glanced towards me. "It's a mule, Persephone. Surely you've seen one before."

I shrugged. "Perhaps once, when I was younger. The farmers in the Land of the Living have them. They used to make offerings to -" I stopped, noticing the tight look on his face. _My mother_. I cleared my throat, changing the delicate subject. "Why do you have one?"

"The terrain is perilous in places," He replied stiffly. "Neither my horses nor my chariot can manage it. Besides, a mule is far more hardy than my horses, and it can carry more." He patted its flank gently.

It was the morning of our departure from Stygia. I had risen from sleep earlier than usual, and rather than having Court, I had remained in my room to pack some of my few belongings. I took only one other chiton, my himation, and a pair of sandals that I could wear when my feet began to hurt. Really, what else would I need?

Hades had already packed the mule with several satchels and bags, and I eyed them curiously. What could be inside of them? What was he taking with us? Before I could ask, he took my satchel from me and tied it to the mule. He raised his eyebrows at me as he held it.

"It's surprisingly light. Is this all you're bringing?"

I nodded, trying to appear indifferent but not exactly succeeding. "Why?" I asked. "Is there something I should know about the land beyond Stygia?"

Hades face became dark. "No, not necessarily. Only you should know that we could be delayed, by the land itself or by… others."

I didn't ask him what he meant by others. I was too afraid of what his answer would be. I helped him pack the mule, and after he left instructions for some of his Faceless minions, and for the Judges, should they come looking for him. Then, just like that, the two of us left.

Hades let me ride upon the mule, while he walked alongside. I felt a tiny flicker of guilt for making him walk, but also grateful that he allowed me my dignity (what little of it there was left). We didn't speak, and the silence was almost uncomfortable, but for once, I think the two of us were content to remain lost in our own heads.

We headed east away from the Hall, towards a tributary of the River Styx, and towards the River Lethe.

* * *

_**Day 55**_

Hecate stepped off of the prow of Charon's boat, her bare feet sinking into the black mud on the bank of the River Styx. She looked back at the stoic ferryman, thanking him with a nod. He bowed stiffly, before he and his boat made their way back across the dark waters.

Hecate looked down at Kyrillos. "Hopefully Charon has informed our dear lord that we have arrived. Perhaps he will show us some kindness, and drop by in his chariot?" She laughed quietly, walking across the black sand until she reached the forbidding gates. They were open.

Cerberus raised his heads as she approached. Sniffing the air, he opened all six of his eyes at once, and eagerly leapt to his feet. Jumping as far forward as he could on the length of his chain, he began barking and yelping with excitement. His tail wagged fiercely. Hecate couldn't help it; she laughed out loud and ran forward, petting each of his heads and cooing at him. Kyrillos sniffed Cerberus in a friendly manner, and licked each of his heads.

"Oh, I have missed you darling!" She exclaimed, giggling as Cerberus licked her arms while she scratched behind one pair of his ears. "If Hades didn't know we were here earlier, he certainly should now!"

Hecate raised her head, looking past the gates and down the road. Everything seemed… quiet. It wasn't unusual for the Land of the Dead to be quiet, but it was unusual for Hades to be absent. Before when she had come to the Underworld, he had been waiting for her by the gates with a smile. But now… it seemed as if he wasn't there.

"Hm," Hecate mused out loud, looking down at the two dogs beside her. "We shall get to the bottom of this mystery!" Kissing Cerberus goodbye, she began the walk to the Hall with Kyrillos at her side.

It didn't take long for her to arrive. The braziers were still lit with their purple flames, but there was something off about the Hall of Stygia itself, and she could sense it easily. She frowned as they walked through the silent courtyard, her stomach uneasy. Why was the place so different?

"Hades!" She called. Her strong voice echoed throughout the entire courtyard, twisting around the vine-covered columns and shooting into the sky. "Show yourself, Hades!"

At that moment, one of his Faceless servants scurried down the stone steps. It bowed low, before assuming an awkward stance before her. "Dark Lady, the lord is not here." Its whispery voice came crawling out from beneath its hood, and Hecate resisted the urge to shiver.

"Where is he, then?"

"He is on the Walk of the Dead, Goddess. He and his queen departed just earlier."

"His queen?" Hecate smiled demurely. "Hm… this ought to be interesting. Fine, then! Escort my hound and I inside. We shall stay and await Hades' return to the Hall." She held up her hand, interrupting the Faceless servant before it could refuse her. "Before you say anything, creature, let me remind you that Hades has gifted me sovereignty over his realm in the event of his absence. If you don't believe me…"

The skin of her palm suddenly darkened, until the shape of a ram's skull was evident on her hand. It appeared to have been burned into her skin, and the Faceless minion gasped when the ram's eyes glowed red. Just like that, the image began to fade, until Hecate's palm was the usual color once more.

"But that is the Queen's vocation now!"

"And in the event that the Queen is absent as well?" She sighed. "Need I show you again?"

The Faceless one shook its head fervently.

"Very well," Hecate said, sniffing imperiously. "Now you will show us inside, and take us to our rooms."

It did just that. It led Hecate to the hall where her room was, just down the corridor from Hades' room itself. It looked much the same as when she had left, only a thin layer of dust covered each surface. She threw back the midnight blue curtains around her bed as the servant left, coughing at the dust that shot into the air. She walked around the room, remembering all the times she had stayed there over the multitudes of years. She paused at her bedside, gently picking up the silver pentagram that she had left there. She smoothed her fingers over it, wiping away the dust until it gleamed again.

Hecate glanced over at Kyrillos. He sneezed. She smiled, and said quietly, "Yes, I do believe this place could use some cleaning up. Who knows how long it will be before Hades gets back?" She dropped her himation on the bed. "We may as well get to work, while we eagerly await his return."

_And while we're waiting, I can try and think of a way to tell him that he's plunged the entire world into darkness._

_

* * *

_

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, for what must have been the third time.

Hades sighed. "As I have already told you, we are going to travel around the Underworld in a circle until we return to the Hall. That is how I have always done it."

"That's not what I meant!" I replied sharply. "I mean where are we going to stop, if we ever do? We've been traveling for two days already, and we haven't stopped! You haven't slept, and I've been sitting atop this smelly beast for _two days_!"

"We don't need to sleep," Hades said simply. "Because our first stop will be a place where we will get too much of it. We're stopping at the Cave of Hypnos, and we shall be there within the hour."

"Is that so?" I asked, resisting the strong desire to roll my eyes.

Traveling with Hades was _terrible_. The land was as tedious as it had always been; there was no change to the sights around us. Yes, as we made our way east, some trees had cropped up, but they were all twisted and black with death. Everything was the same, and it became so terrible that I didn't even want to open my eyes anymore. The first night had been awful as well. There were no stars in the Underworld, and certainly no light from Selene. There was only a fully encompassing darkness, as Erebus swept over us and cradled us. It was frightening.

Hades wasn't the worst part about traveling, though. I actually found myself enjoying his company, which surprised me. For the first day, we didn't speak much, but that night I had grown afraid, and he had told me stories until the darkness became less over-powering, and the gray day began once more. I was grateful for him; he didn't have to comfort me, but he did. After that, we traded tales back and forth, and I even caught him smiling once. It was disconcerting, but something inside of me kind of liked it.

Until now. He refused to tell me almost anything about where we were going, and I was tired of being stuck on a mule. Hades was overprotective; he would only let me walk alongside of him for an hour or so, before insisting I was back on the mule. Already it had led to several arguments, and that was just this afternoon.

He was right though. We arrived at the Cave of Hypnos before an hour had even passed, and I gasped when it came into view. The dirt here had gone from a gray to brown and black, as it turned into soil on the edges of the River Lethe. Surrounding the cave on all sides were the odd, malformed trees. They appeared like twisted sentinels to watch over the palace of Hypnos, for that's what it truly was. It was not so much a cave as a fortress built into a slate-gray mountain of sharp rock. The River Lethe ran right into the mouth of the cave, and I stared in wonder as it disappeared into darkness.

"And now we are here, and you may cease your wondering," Hades said. Gently, he grasped my hips and lifted me from the mule. I tried not to squeak in surprise as he set me down. "Are you tired?"

"Not anymore," I admitted. Truthfully, I had been travel weary, up until the moment the cave slipped into view. Every thought of my running away vanished. Now, I was fascinated, and more than willing to go inside.

I took a step forward, but Hades stopped me. "No, not yet. We must first wait to be acknowledged by Hypnos and his fellows."

I frowned. "But you're the authority here."

Hades shook his head. "Not truly. Hypnos is Sleep itself, Persephone. I want no qualms with him, nor his twin brother, Death. I am merely a lord, ruling over this land. They are intangible concepts that I could never dream of controlling."

"Well said, Mighty Lord." A voice hissed from our right.

This time I did squeak, turning in fright. Hades edged in front of me as subtly as possible, holding one arm out in front of me in a way that might have seemed relaxed. I knew, however, that he was tense and ready to fight, should the need arise. I was taken aback that I could even sense that, and even more astonished that I trusted him enough to protect me. But if I didn't have him, I would be alone in Underworld, where he had said terrible things lurked. Perhaps running away was not the smartest idea... I turned my attention to the figure that had spoken.

Slouched there against one of the trees was a woman. She wore a dusky brown peplos, stained black at the bottom from the waters of Lethe. Her hair was the color of copper, and it fell in coils to her shoulders. In one hand she held a fine bronze helmet, and in the other, a blade. Her green eyes were heavily lidded, and she looked as if we had just woken her from sleep with our talking.

"Aergia," Hades said, nodding to her. "We seek the hospitality of your worthy lord."

Her teeth were pointed when she grinned. "Hypnos' court always has room for Hades. You may venture inside, but be wary of Lethe. The dark waters might just reach out and snatch an unsure foot." She closed her eyes once more as the two of us walked past, but I heard a snicker echo after us.

Hades tied the mule to one of the cracked, black trees and left it there with one small pat. "We shall have someone bring out food for him," He said quietly, leading the way into the cave. I followed him tentatively, no longer sure of what was waiting on the other side.

The inside of the cave was lit with an eerie blue light. Water dripped from stalactites bigger than me; the floor was washed smooth by eons of erosion. Lethe rushed right through the center of the path, but we clung to the edges. I kept an eye on my footing, unnerved by what Aergia had said. The path wound down in a spiral, and the air became lighter and brighter as we made our way down. It was chilly, and damp, and oddly quiet.

"So," I whispered softly, curious. "Who is she?"

"Aergia?" Hades asked, looking back at me over his shoulder. "She's a guard here. She warns Hypnos of outsiders, so he already knows of our arrival."

"I see. But who _is_ she?"

He understood my meaning this time. "She's sloth."

I snorted. "What kind of guard can she be, then?"

"One who has superb hearing, and who can see even with her eyes closed."

I kept my mouth shut after that. Finally, we reached the end of the spiral. The cave opened up into a mammoth room, lit with a golden light from a dozen braziers. Lethe still swept past, but it was no longer through the center of the room; it rushed past to the right of us, dipping down into a waterfall just past an enormous scarlet and gold bed. Laying there, motionless, was the prone form of a man. He wore a silk robe and his fair hair was brushed back from his face. His eyelids fluttered, but he didn't wake.

"Is that him?" I whispered.

Hades nodded. "He will not wake while we are here, but he knows of our presence."

"As do I." Someone stepped out from behind the bed, someone I hadn't seen before. He was as pale as Hades, with short black hair and piercing eyes. He wore a silver exomis, a cloth that hung from one of his pointed shoulders; it fell to his knees, and seemed to shimmer as if it were made from the stars themselves.

Hades smiled at the man, to my amazement. "Morpheus! How fortunate we are to see you."

Morpheus nodded. "My father has named me his guardian, and chief minister. I rule in his stead, while he sleeps."

"Merry meet," Hades said. Morpheus crossed the room, and the two of them clasped arms in a brotherly handshake. "May I introduce Persephone?"

I smiled shyly when Morpheus' gaze turned on me. "Ah," He said softly. "How often I have gazed upon this beauty in the dreams of men and gods alike." He bowed low, and kissed the hand that I offered him. "It does not compare to how you shine in person."

I blushed furiously, unable to stop smiling. "Thank you."

"Come!" Morpheus said loudly, despite his sleeping father. "Join me in a feast, for it has been much too long since the Lord himself has visited."

Hades looked at me, as if testing my reaction, and something in his eyes changed. His face became softer, his eyes less harsh. And that's when I realized: I was smiling. I was smiling at _him_. As if he was suddenly shy, he slowly smiled back. I let him take my hand, and lead me after Morpheus, who was chattering away about how glorious it was to see us.

Things were changing. Already, I could feel it in my heart. Perhaps this journey would not be such a bad thing after all.

* * *

**Filler. I feel like this could have been ten times better, but I'm kind of stressed at the moment, so you'll all have to make do. The next one will be better, I promise! **


	9. Ultimatum

Eight: Ultimatums

_**Day 56**_

Staying in the Cave of Hypnos proved to be a wise idea, indeed.

There was an elegant feast of ambrosia and nectar, presented by Morpheus, and the three of us ate and drank. It was nice to talk to someone who wasn't Hades, and I found myself liking Morpheus very much. He was a young deity, as I was, and I could relate to his tales of his duties to his father. I didn't speak much, though; I preferred to listen to Hades and Morpheus talk like old friends. I watched as a change came over Hades; he smiled and laughed, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. It was a nice variation from his usually surly demeanor.

All in all, the meal was a pleasant one, and after dinner was perhaps even better. Morpheus showed us to our separate chambers so we could retire. I was awe-struck upon seeing mine: in the center of the carved room, there was a bed that resembled a shell. It was covered in silken blankets in soft hues of pink and blue, and it looked absolutely heavenly. I sank into it gratefully when Morpheus departed, able to sleep comfortably for one of the first times since I had arrived in the Underworld. After all, we were in the realm of the Lord of Sleep himself. No better rest could have been found in all of the world.

As such, I received absolutely no dreams. I had imagined I would, seeing as we were sleeping the realm of Morpheus himself, but it seemed as though he respectfully chose to remain away from our minds while we slept. It was comforting, and I was glad he had chosen to act that way. Although I had never needed sleep before, as most immortals don't, it really did feel quite refreshing to slip into nothingness, and take time away from the world I had come to know. It was brief reprieve, and I was extremely grateful for it the next morning.

I woke energized and feeling happier than I had in a long time. Despite my current predicament, the world seemed brighter, and I was filled with hope in a way that I hadn't been in weeks. I couldn't exactly say why my mood had improved; I had a feeling it had to do with the good night's rest. Whatever the reason, I quickly sprang from bed, and fetched my pack from the end of the bed. First, I was going to bathe. Then I was going to change into the other chiton I had thought to pack, wash the one I was currently wearing, and ask Hades when we might be leaving. Once we were on our way again, I could once more put some thought into running away, if only to give each of us time away from one another. Despite our journey taking a turn for the better, I still believed that a respite between the two of us would serve us well.

Clutching my pack tightly against my chest, I edged out of my bedchamber and into a dimly lit corridor of stone. The walls were smoothed by eons of erosion, and the plunking sound of dripping water echoed around me. I hesitantly followed the hall, keeping a careful eye on my bare feet. Just because I had slept comfortably didn't mean I was entirely at ease. Morpheus was kindly, but his subjects were not as welcoming; particularly Aergia.

The corridor opened up into a small circular antechamber that I recognized from the previous night. There were two separate paths I could take: one led to the hall where Hypnos slept in his elegant bed, and the other led to Morpheus' table, where we had dined. My original plan was to forego the dining chamber entirely, but the whisper of voices caught my attention. Curious, I crept closer, hovering just outside the archway.

The first voice I heard I immediately distinguished as Morpheus'. "…from my brothers, though I do not know if I can trust them with a matter as grave as this."

"What do they say?" A second voice asked, almost uneasily. My breath nearly caught; it was Hades.

"Phobetor came to me as a lion, and Phantasos… well, you know he prefers to be a gem. As a matter of fact, they are both here, though they remain far deeper in Father's cavern than others are allowed. They bring tidings, though I suppose they're more rumors than anything…" Morpheus trailed off, before asking, "Do you really wish to know? The news is dire."

"Isn't it always?" Hades sighed. "You are not the only one with troublesome brothers, old friend."

Hades sounded weary, and I bit my lip, wondering what could possible be vexing him this early in the day. Obviously it had something to do with his brothers, though if I had to guess, I would say it was a problem with Zeus rather than Poseidon. Zeus and Hades were well-known for their infamous arguments. Poseidon usually tried to keep himself away from trouble with his younger siblings.

Whatever the trouble was, I was about to find out. However, as I flattened myself against the stone wall, there was a sound from behind me - a throat being cleared. I wasn't sure who it would be, since Aergia was lurking outside, and Hypnos was sleeping. I swiveled, if only to discover who was standing behind me. When I did, I gasped aloud.

The spitting image of Hypnos was standing there, exactly alike in all characteristics but two: his hair was not nearly as fair as the Lord of Sleep; as a matter of fact, it was a burnished copper color that darkened to black at the roots. The second difference was the enormous pair of ebony wings spreading from his shoulders, and enveloping him like a cloak. The air around him was cold, and foul-smelling to the point where I needed to raise my arm to cover my nose. His red eyes were narrowed in hatred.

"And who dares to trespass in the hall of my brother, Sleep?" His wings snapped open, revealing his pale, nude body. Stretched wide, his wingspan was easily over forty feet; over twice that in the dark shadows that loomed behind him. I tried to take a step back, but found I couldn't; I was already pressed up against the wall. My knees wobbled with fear, as he lunged forward. "Who dares gaze upon the visage of Death?"

It took me a moment to realize he actually expected an answer. "P-Persephone," I stammered, "Daughter of Demeter."

"Ah," He hissed, his fingers curling into fists, "One of the fortunate that I may not touch! Why are you here, daughter of Demeter? What has brought you so far from your garish, sun-lit home?"

The sound of hurried footsteps came to me, then, and I nearly fainted with relief as Hades and Morpheus both rushed into the room. Morpheus stepped in front of me, holding his hands up to waylay Death, as Hades wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side.

"Cease this torment, Thanatos! These are esteemed guests of mine, and welcome in the home of my father!"

"_Nephew_," Thanatos spat, narrowing his eyes at Morpheus. "And what would you know of the whims of my brother? When he sleeps, does he whisper in your ear - or mine?"

Morpheus hesitated for all of one moment, and I could see the doubt that traveled across his face. It passed quickly, for he frowned and replied curtly, "I do not pretend to share the same bond with him as he does you, Thanatos. However, as his chief minister, I will not have you terrorizing those who stay here! If you have a purpose in being here, state it now. If not, begone from this place, and do not return until summoned by Hypnos!"

"Insolent wretch, I _was_ summoned by Hypnos! I came as quickly as I could, before smelling unfamiliar scents in the air. They smelled of the overworld, and I was curious as to what trash you have filled this place with." Thanatos' eyes flicked over to me, before smugly landing back on his nephew. "A child goddess, Morpheus, one of those who walk in light. I expected more perhaps from you. Have you no pride?"

Morpheus gritted his teeth. "She is not my intended, but the Lord's here."

Thanatos gazed past Morpheus once more, back to Hades and I. He seemed to see the Lord of the Underworld for the first time. Surprisingly, he slowly lowered his wings, draping them back around his alabaster body. He took several steps back, so half of his form was hidden in shadow. One of his eyes still burned out of the dark at us; a seething odium swirled inside of it.

"Lord," He croaked, not bothering to bow or nod, "I have no qualms with you, nor with your brother, the sky-god. Take your betrothed and go, for I no longer wish to endure your presence."

I was shocked at his words. I knew he was more powerful than Hades, and I knew that without him, Hades would be the lord of nothing, but could he really talk to him that way? Could he really command him? All this time, I thought that Hades was in charge of everyone who was a part of his realm. That's when I realized: Death didn't stay in the Underworld. Perhaps he stopped by every now and again to visit his twin, like now, but he rarely stayed in one place for long. He traveled, sweeping through the night on his swift wings, always busy, and always watching. He was everywhere, much like Hypnos. For the mortals, there was no escaping him. The thought made me shiver, and Hades hugged me tighter to his chest.

Morpheus, however, cured any confusion I had over authority. "You are in no place to make demands. This realm is Hypnos', not yours. Now, I ask that _you_ leave, so that my guests may carry out their stay in peace. Wait for my father in the cavern below, with my brothers. I will not ask you again."

Thanatos looked as if he was going to say something, to perhaps dispute Morpheus' claim. Instead, he stalked from the room in a rush of feathers, leaving several behind on the ground. I stared in wonderment as they dissolved into black ash, leaving a stain upon the stone floor. That was what Thanatos was; a stain on the world, but one that was necessary all the same.

Morpheus turned to us, shaking his head. "I am sorry about that. He does drop in unexpectedly, and I did not realize my father had summoned him." He looked to me, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you all right?"

I nodded. I didn't try to speak; my jaw was clenched too tightly.

Morpheus sighed. "Due to his sudden arrival, I am afraid that I am going to have to ask you to leave much sooner than I wished to. I am deeply sorry, friend."

"There is no need to apologize," Hades said, speaking for the first time in my presence. I felt the words rumble through his chest. "We understand. We will prepare ourselves, gather our things, and leave as soon as we are fit. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes, of course. I seek only to keep trouble away from Hypnos' resting place. He gets ever so angry when he is unnecessarily disturbed."

"Well, we wouldn't want that." Hades looked down at me, at the pack clenched in my white-knuckle grip. "Had you already prepared to depart?"

I shook my head, finally unlocking my jaw. "No, I was… going to freshen up."

Hades looked over my head, back to Morpheus. "You had better take care of Thanatos. He could be getting unruly with your brothers. I'll get the two of us ready, and we'll see you when we're ready to leave."

Morpheus made a noise of agreement, before briskly striding out of the room. I listened to his footsteps fade, wondering why the pounding sound hadn't stopped. That was when I realized, it wasn't his footsteps I was hearing. He had departed, descending down into the blackest parts of the cave. No, what I was hearing was much closer than that.

I turned my head, shocked to find Hades' chest mere inches from my face. Momentarily stunned, I forgot the mysterious thumping sound, as my gaze drew upwards. He wore a stormy gray chiton, tied with a length of black rope. He was gazing down at me, but the expression on his face was difficult to read. It seemed like a mixture of elation and unease. His eyes were the usual black, but something had softened them. Something like…

"Are you well?" He asked quietly. I felt his breath tickle my hair. "You were shaking."

"He-he frightened me." I tried to smile, but I was sure it came out as a grimace instead. "I'm sorry, I was looking for a place where I might bathe, and then suddenly he was behind me, and I-I didn't know what to do. Why does he hate… _everyone_ so much?" I had almost said _me_, but I realized it hadn't just been me. He acted as though he distinctly hated everyone but Hypnos.

"Who can tell? Some say he has no heart, and that he is ruthless. I don't know if I believe this or not."

"How could you not? You saw the way he acted right now! I think that, had Morpheus not intervened, he might have tried to-to-"

"Kill you?"

"Yes!" I paused. "Could he?"

"No. He is forbidden to."

"Praise Zeus."

Something flashed through Hades eyes, and he looked away. "Think, if you can, of what it must feel like to be him, beloved. Imagine for a moment the dark destiny that is his. Among the mortals, he is feared and hated. These are the only emotions he has come to recognize, other than sorrow surrounding his name. He doesn't know how to act any differently than how he has been perceived, and so he responds in kind, to mortal and immortal alike. He hates those around him, even if he does not understand why, and I believe his only pleasure is seeing the fear in others. However, I do not believe he was always this way. The endless seas of time have hardened him, and I believe he may be past the point of saving."

I pondered his words, wishing he wasn't right. To met out death to mortals would be a terrifying, lonely existence. They would curse him, revile him, and as Hades had said, hate him, as I was sure they had done for thousands of years. But it wasn't his fault. He was born with a predestined duty, and there was no way of escaping it, for his one true enemy was none other than himself.

I looked up at Hades, managing for one of the first times since I had arrived, to read the look in his inky black eyes. "You pity him."

"I understand him." I opened my mouth to ask what he meant by that, but he swiftly cut me off. "That, however, is beside the point. I was asking after your well-being."

"I'm fine," I responded quickly, wanting to get back to the conversation we had just been having. I knew he wanted to move on, but it seemed like I was finally pushing through the mist that surrounded Hades, and shockingly, I was curious to know what lay on the other side. "What did-"

"You said you wanted to bathe, did you not?" He frowned down his nose at me, and the message in his eyes was blatantly clear. _Let it go_.

I sighed. "Yes, I did. May I, before we go?"

The annoyance faded from Hades' face, replaced once more with unease. Why? What had him so on edge? That was when I heard the sound again, that loud thudding that seemed so near to me. Was Morpheus returning? Was Thanatos up to something dastardly? _What_ was it?

It hit me like a summer wind, as I realized exactly where I was standing. _Hades was holding me. _Even after Thanatos had left, he had stayed beside me. His arm was still curled around my shoulders, and I was pressed to his chest. Undoubtedly, I then grasped the source of the mysterious sound. It was Hades' _heartbeat_; I could feel it against my arm, through his unusually warm skin. My gaze dropped to his chest, as the implications of the scene fell upon my shoulders.

Gently, I stepped away, pulling myself out of his arms. I shifted the pack in my arms, refusing to look at him. _I was just scared_, I told myself. _It was nothing._

"Yes," Hades said suddenly. I looked at him sharply, momentarily forgetting that I had asked him a question. His face looked strained. "You may. The River Lethe shall serve that purpose. I will gather our supplies; you may come find me when you have finished."

"Thank you," I replied quietly, even as he began walking away.

Shaking my head, I left the antechamber, proceeding to the hall where Hypnos was sleeping. To my surprise, his ornate bed was empty, the blankets thrown back as if he had hastily awoken. It was strange, knowing that he was awake somewhere within the caverns. Would I see him? Would he be as terrifying as his brother? I hoped not. Suppressing a shiver, I stepped delicately over some stones, setting my pack down upon the stone floor. If I hurried, I could be finished before anyone came back.

Lethe rushed past me, looking dark and cold. I leaned forward over the water, to glimpse my reflection. The black waves of my hair were tangled, and I anxiously ran a hand through them, combing the snarls out with my fingers. When I had finished brushing the strands smooth, I began unclipping the brooches holding the shoulders of chiton…

* * *

As soon as he was sure that Persephone could no longer see him or hear him, Hades stopped short, and slumped against the wall beside him. He could hardly believe what had just transpired. For several moments, he had held her in his arms! He had wrapped one comforting arm around her, and had been the one she turned to for support. And she had questioned him, as if she were actually interested in what he had to say. Was it possible that she actually _was_ interested? He could've answered her questions, but he did not want to ruin the moment. Even if she had pulled away, the two of them had made undeniable progress, and had come to a point where they were beginning to trust each other more. His head was still spinning. It seemed to Hades as if there were moments when she forgot who he was. This was beyond good; this was excellent! This meant she was growing used to the idea of living in the Underworld with him, and forgetting all of the terrible times that had begun their relationship. It meant she was adjusting to _him_, and that was the greatest revelation of all.

Perhaps there was hope, after all, he mused. Perhaps all was not lost for the two of them.

_But it will be, if you let her bathe in Lethe. She will forget the last moment, and the feel of your arms around her. She will forget the way she smiled at you the previous night. She will forget everything._

Hades paused. Did he want that to happen? Yes, he could arrive at the precise moment when her mind became a blank slate, but could he fill in the blanks with lies? Could he do that, when it seemed they had come so far? To fill her head with ideas of romance and luxury would surely only… cheapen the true, indescribable feelings he had for her. And if they were doing so well, was her memory loss necessary? Guilt swiftly kicked him in the gut, and he grunted in pain. _I cannot do this to her._ _More importantly, I cannot do this to __**us**__. _

Hades shook his head, looking up at the stalactite-covered ceiling with a wry smile. "Fates, may you strike me down for my pathetic, overflowing heart; too often of late has it ruled my head."

There was no reply. He hadn't meant it, anyway. With a light sigh, Hades turned on his heel and hurried back to find Persephone, and stop her from making the biggest mistake of her immortal life.

* * *

I frowned as I fiddled with one of the brooches holding my chiton. It was stuck. I reached around it to unclasp it, when suddenly there was a rush of footsteps behind me, as if someone was running-

A hand closed over my mouth, as an arm wrapped around my waist and yanked me backwards. I shrieked, but the sound was muffled by the hand over my mouth. I beat at the arm of whoever had grabbed me, my fists pummeling his skin, but he didn't let go until I was several yards away from the river. I spun around as soon as the hands released me, my hair whirling about in a frenzy. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw it was Hades.

"_What_ are you doing?" I yelled, straightening my chiton, and shoving the newly tangled strands of hair back away from my face. "How dare you come up behind me and-and-_rumple_ me! What is the matter with you?"

"Don't touch the water," He said urgently, taking a step closer to me. "Don't even go near it."

"What? Why not? You just said-"

"I don't care what I said earlier," His voice was rough, "Now I'm telling you to stay away from it." There was that look in his eyes again, that unease that I had seen before.

My anger cooled, as I glanced back over my shoulder at the river. Now, as I gazed upon it, a prickle of distrust crawled up my spine. What was wrong with it? Was it like the River Acheron? Would it ensnare my mind, and cause me more pain? Perhaps I should have thanked Hades. I didn't want to think of what would have happened, had I stepped into the rushing waters.

"Lethe," I said quietly, not facing him just yet, "What is it? What's in the water?"

"It is forgetfulness," Hades said softly. "It-I-" He took a deep breath. "I do not savor the thought of what would have happened to you, had I not intervened."

Forgetfulness. A dark torrent of water that would cleanse me of all my memories, of all the times I'd had with my mother, and of all the pain I'd faced with Hades. A bath that would've left me with nothing, as a blank shell of the girl I had once been. I wondered if Hades had meant for me to sink beneath the surface? Had he desired that I forget the life I had lived before him? I peered closely at him out of the corner of my eye; regret was as plain on his face as was his nose. He had stopped me. That had to count for something… right?

"Persephone, many events have transpired here in the Cave of Hypnos. I would prefer it if they remained off of your mind while we travel. I have no wish to repeat them, if only in my mind. Do you understand?"

He was asking me to forget what had happened here. I felt a sudden flash of anger. Well, if he wanted that, why didn't he just let me go in the river? While it hadn't all be a stroll through a meadow, it certainly hadn't been the nightmare he was making it out to be. _What_ was going on inside of his head?

"I-"

"_Do you understand?_" Hades eyes bore straight through me, and I unsurely took a step back. He seemed to take that action as an affirmative, because he nodded curtly. "Good. Now, gather your things. We're leaving now. You can make do without a bath."

I stared at him. So many questions filled my mind, mostly about him. He claimed he loved me, but if he could not trust me with information, than how could his love be real? How could he truly feel for me, if he couldn't even bring himself to face my judgment? Instead of saying any of these things, I simply shook my head before slowly backing away, and returning to my pack. Silently, I picked it up, and held it against my chest, staring down into the river at the reflection of a girl I no longer recognized.

* * *

Kyrillos gazed sadly at Hecate, as she knelt down beside him. "Come now," She said gently, rubbing her hands over his ears. "It is a necessary action, my love. It _must_ be done. We shall stay, and oversee the cleaning of the Hall, and she will do this honorable deed for me. There is no need to despair."

Kyrillos huffed out a sigh, before laying down at the goddess' feet, his face resting on his paws. His large brown eyes remained sad, though he looked as if he had given in.

"That's a good lad." Hecate stood and turned to the pretty female sitting proudly at her side. "Glykeria, my dear, I have an important quest for you." Hecate held up a scroll. "I need you to take this to Zeus. I would have Hermes do it, but as it is, I do not trust him. You, however, are faultless." Hecate tied the scroll to Glykeria's neck, patting her smooth white fur. "Your mate, Kyrillos, is not happy with me. However, we have no time to delay. Please return to us safely, for we would be saddened without your presence."

Glykeria slouched forward into a formal bow, before turning and scampering off as fast as she could down the steps of the Hades' Hall. Hecate watched her go, stooping down to pet Kyrillos.

"She will return," She said quietly. "Of this, I am certain. And though it burdens my heart to send such a message, someone _must_ know what it is going on above in the Land of the Living. And if I must inform the God of Gods himself…" She stood up, her dark eyes resolute as they searched the bleak horizon. "Then so be it."

* * *

Zeus stared at the vellum in his hands, a deep frown set upon his face. His eyes scanned the words once more, and still, his expression did not change. There was utter silence in his all, as his attendants waited patiently for news of whatever word he had received. At first, they had whispered. After all, it was not everyday that a hound bearing a message scampered through the gilded doors of their Lord's hall. When the hound was recognized as being one of Hecate's cherished, there was even more talk, for everyone present knew Hecate was one of Zeus' favored ladies, and he would receive her message without delay. Now, however, it seemed as if the news boded ill for the God of the Sky, and so everyone had quieted, unwilling to risk his wrath.

Finally, Zeus rolled the scroll back up, handing it off to his wife, Hera. He emitted a heavy sigh, leaning forward in his great throne, resting his chin upon his fist. The hall was still silent, as Zeus remained lost in thought. The scowl still hung upon his brow; no one wanted to be the first to speak, and unleash whatever storm was brewing inside of him.

Hera was the first. Rather than reading the scroll herself, she merely kept it tightly in one hand, before stepping forward. "What news, my lord and husband?" She asked quietly. Her voice was soft, but the words held a deeper meaning than she let on. Her gray eyes were narrowed with contempt, making her face seem shrewd and sharp rather than calm and lovely. "How does Hecate of the hounds fare?"

"You need not be glib, wife. I know you care not for Hecate's well-being, and I know you still believe me to have bedded her." Zeus sat up straighter, glaring at his wife. "As often as I have told you that is untrue, you still do not believe me."

Hera sniffed imperiously. "Why else would you honor her so?"

Zeus' sharp gaze snapped to Hera, and he pointed one thick finger at her. "Mind your tone, wife! I need not explain my actions to anyone, least of all you!"

"My most sincere apologies, Lord," Hera replied immediately, bowing in a gesture of contrition. Her eyes, however, still burned with a defiant flame. "I am merely curious. I meant no offense to you, or… anyone else."

"Yes, yes." Zeus waved away his wife's apology, as if it meant nothing at all. Truly, it didn't, because he was certain that she didn't mean it. However, he didn't have time to dwell of Hera's petty jealousies of those women he chose to dote upon. Leaning upon the arm of his throne, he tapped one finger thoughtfully against his bearded chin. "Tell me, where is my daughter, Athena?"

"I am here, Father." Courtiers parted in the marble hall to make way for the goddess of wisdom. She stood proudly, wearing a snow-white peplos bound with a single bronze cord. Two bronze brooches were pinned at her shoulders. Upon her golden curls was a wreath of olive branches, carefully woven and secured. Her blue eyes were filled with wisdom and curiosity, as she humbly knelt before her father's throne.

"Rise, daughter," He waited until she did before continuing. His voice carried to the far corners of the hall, so that everyone present knew the situation: "I have just been sent word that things are not well below our mountain. Hecate, fortunate favorite of mine," he glanced sharply at Hera, "has given me grave news. Hades, elder brother of mine and Lord of the Underworld, has breeched the veil between his domain and mine, and has kidnapped Demeter's daughter Persephone. According to Hecate, Demeter's grief is so acute that she cannot fulfill her duties, and has let the earth fall into disrepair. I must now leave and resolve this matter." His eyes cut to Athena. "Wise daughter of mine, I leave you as my regent. Will you accept this duty?"

Athena nodded. "Gladly, my lord. I shall take up your mantle as soon as you depart. You will not be disappointed, Father."

Zeus smiled briefly. "Of that, I am sure. Be well in my absence, and do nothing that I would not." He stood, stepping down from his ornate throne, pausing only to kiss Hera on the cheek. She flinched when his lips brushed against his cheek, but otherwise did nothing. "Farewell, wife."

He strode away, his strong legs carrying him to the gargantuan doors that opened upon his elegant place of refuge. Courtiers bowed as he passed, but he paid them no mind. He was thinking only of one thing: the madness that surely had possessed Demeter. He could not fathom how she would shirk her duties to the mortal world, simply to bemoan the absence of her child. Frankly, it angered him. It was a blatant show of disrespect not only towards him, but towards Olympus itself. Staring ahead resolutely, he vowed to put an end to this nonsense as quickly as possible, so that the world - _his _world - might continue on as it had for eons.

Breezing through the doors, Zeus stood in the light of midday for a moment, before taking a deep breath. Shifting so he became an eagle, he took to the winds. He circled over the gods' peak before diving through the clouds, feeling out with his mind for Demeter. When he felt her presence, he nearly flinched. All he needed to do was follow the stench of the land's decay, and he would find her.

It didn't take long for him to spot her with his keen eyes. She was walking slowly through a field of gray, her head down. As he dived to meet her, an icy wind buffeted him, nearly blowing him off course. With a screech, he controlled the wind, sending it away from him. Furious at this turn of events, he began shifting back to his usual form before he had even landed, several feet above her, so he came crashing out of the sky.

Demeter shrieked, falling backwards in surprise. She held her hands up, as if to ward off a blow. When Zeus caught sight of her face, he curled his lip in disgust. Once, Demeter had been lovely. She had taken care of the land, and that showed in her body. She had been fruitful and rich, but now… she seemed to have wasted away. Her skin, which was normally a healthy gold, had faded to a wan white. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, and the auburn curls that coated her hair were limp and lank. She wore no circlet, and the bottom of her chiton was torn.

"Lord Zeus!" Demeter gasped, shifting so that she was kneeling at his feet. Without any preamble, she launched into a tearful recollection of what Hecate had told him in her message.

"I am aware of the situation," He remarked stiffly, nudging her away from him as gently as he could. "That is not why I have come. I have come to know precisely why you have given up on your duties."

Demeter sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "My-my duties?"

"Yes, your duties. Where has the grain gone, Demeter? What of the mortals? Hecate has told me that many of them have died in your absence. Why would you punish them for something that is no fault of theirs?" Zeus kept to himself that often he had done the same thing, taking out his rage on the unsuspecting mortals that prayed to him. They weren't talking about his crimes, though. They were talking about hers.

"I…" She said nothing. She shook her head, clamping her lips shut, as more tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Look at this place!" Zeus roared, casting out one arm in a wide arc, gesturing to the land around them. "Everything around you dies! Where there was once color, there is nothing but despair! Control yourself, woman, or I will forcibly intervene."

"I apologize, O Lord," Demeter sniffled, "but I cannot resume what once gave me joy. Without my beloved daughter, there _is_ no joy. I feel as if a piece of me has been taken as well. I need her back, Zeus. I need her returned to me, or there is no hope. I cannot carry on without her." Demeter buried her face in her hands, crying harder than ever.

Zeus made a face, stepping away from the messy goddess. He gazed out at the area around them, planting his hands on his hips. What could he do? There was only one solution, it seemed, to the problem before him. He would have to command Hades to release Persephone. Regardless if Hades was older, Zeus was still more powerful, and he was the King of Gods. His word was the ultimate, unflinching law. _So I will demand that the girl be returned to her mother_, he thought, _and then Demeter will make things right again… won't she?_

"Demeter," Zeus barked, turning around and facing her. "Get up. I will make you a solemn oath, here and now, that your daughter will be returned to you."

Demeter moved her hands away from her face, peering up at Zeus with watery, red eyes. "You will?"

"Provided you return to your duties as _soon_ as she arrives. This cannot go on forever, do you understand? As soon as Persephone comes back, you must bring life back to the land."

"Oh, I swear it!" Demeter scrambled to her feet, brushing dirt from her knees. "I swear I shall do this, once Persephone is at my side again!"

Zeus reached out with his right hand. Demeter hesitantly stepped forward, clasping his forearm with her left hand. His fingers curled around her arm, and the two of them nodded to each other.

"I will immediately prepare for her swift return," Zeus said, releasing her and stepping backwards. "It will, however, take time. I will send word when she is to arrive. Is this agreeable?"

"Yes, Lord." Demeter bowed her head respectfully.

"Good," Zeus paused, "While you're waiting, clean yourself up. There is no reason for you to let your grief control you in such shameless ways."

Demeter frowned, looking down at herself, as if she was only just realizing the changes that she had gone through. "Of course."

Without another word, Zeus turned on his heel and stalked off through the dead grasses. Shrieking loudly, he shifted back into an eagle, and ascended into the sky. Rage ran through his veins as he swiftly made his way back to Olympus. The earth below him was brittle and bereft, and it was all Hades' fault. _Why?_ He thought savagely, _Why must he always do these things? Was this his idea of an assault against me and my domain? Why would he use the girl so, only to destroy my lands? Fool brother!_

Zeus knew one thing was certain, as he soared on the winds: He _would_ have Persephone returned to her mother, and Hades would pay for his direct insult to the Lord of all Gods.

* * *

_**Day 57**_

Hades looked up at me, where I was seated on the sagging back of the mule. It must've been the third time he'd done it in the past hour, let alone in the past day. We had left the Cave of Hypnos early in the morning, and had traveled north for several hours. Eventually, passing through the gray hills of the Underworld, we had come to the River Phlegethon, the river of fire. It was a wondrous-if not imposing-sight to behold. Waves of lava cascaded along the blackened, rocky banks, heading straight for the darkest part of the Underworld: the Pit of Tartarus. Every now and again, an arm or a torso was visible. Stretching from the flames would be a soul caught in agony, screaming for release from where it was headed. Hades paid them no mind, but the screams echoed in my head. I did not like this corner of the Underworld. If the shrieking souls of evil men weren't cause enough not to speak, I didn't know what else was.

Besides being angry with Hades, which I was. I hadn't said a single word since the two of us had left the Cave of Hypnos, and I wasn't planning on speaking anytime soon. He was just so _infuriating_. Not only had he tried to trick me, but he refused to tell me things, thing that I was certain I needed to know. Were the two of us in danger? Was there likely to be another creature that would threaten us, like Thanatos had? How long was this going to take? And what about all of that nonsense about Hades understanding the Lord of Death? All I wanted was perhaps an answer or two, so I didn't feel like I was entirely alone in the dark with no one but the maddening circle of questions in my head! Was that too much to ask of him?

The supremely irritating thing was that he didn't even realize I was mad at him. It had never occurred to him that I could be angry, for he didn't realize he'd done anything wrong. He thought that I was just going to sit here, and obey his wishes as if it was my place to do so. What he didn't realize was that it was _not_ my place. I may have been his queen, but I was not his wife, and that did not give him lordship over me! I, too, was a sovereign, was I not? Did I not deserve to know what was happening in the land that I now owned a piece of, in title? He was sorely mistaken if he was under the impression that I was going to sit here, and let this miscommunication persist. I was tired of being weak and scared. When I actually thought about it, he was not as scary as he had first seemed. When he was angry, yes, he was frightening. The threat of his wrath, however, would no longer keep me from speaking my mind. More often than not, he was just a lonely, tired man, and therefore nothing for me to fear. If he was going to have a queen, he was going to have a _queen_, someone who was invested and dedicated and thoughtful, not some pretty doll that he could parade in front of his courtiers. I was tired of being the saintly, demure Persephone of Spring. That life had been taken from me, and it only made sense that I change myself to adapt to the new life that had taken hold. So, I decided that I was no longer going to sit calmly, and let him think he could dictate my life, when he had absolutely no claim to it whatsoever!

He looked at me again, and I nearly exploded. Finally, he spoke. He sounded friendly, and genuinely concerned. That just added fuel to the fire that was my anger. "You've been oddly quiet since we left, Persephone. Is something the matter?"

"_No_," I replied scathingly, "But even if something were wrong, I would not choose to share it with you. Does that bother you? Does it just gall you to know that there could be something wrong with me, but that I won't tell you about it?"

Hades frowned. "Well, clearly there _is_ something wrong with you. What is it? Why are you acting this way?"

"Me? Why am _I_ acting this way? Why are you?"

Hades halted the mule. He appeared to finally share my aggravation. "Acting in precisely what way?"

"_This_ way!" Sliding inelegantly off the mule, I began walking away from him. I was tired. I was tired of the games we were playing with each other, and I just needed to get away from him. It didn't work, however, for he quickly abandoned the mule and caught up with my several feet away.

He grabbed my elbow, stopping me. "What manner of insanity has possessed you? Have I done something to offend you?"

"I wish the answer was that simple," I replied, shaking my head. "I need you to talk to me, Hades."

"Talk to you? We _are_ talking."

I threw my hands up. "That is not what I mean!"

"Then what do you mean?" His voice grew louder, "For the love of the gods, girl, what are you trying to say?"

"You don't tell me anything! You just expect me to follow you blindly on this asinine quest! Well, I'm not doing it anymore. Until you tell me exactly what we may be walking into, and what dangers we may face, I'm not going another step." I looked him in the eye, trying to make him see. "If we cannot be honest and trust each other, then how we can we protect each other? How can we work together?"

"You don't trust me to begin with."

"Maybe I could," I said softly. The words came out, almost before I could stop them. The question I was faced with was did I actually want to stop them? Or did I want him to know what I was feeling? Things were changing between the two of us, and I wasn't sure if I liked it. Regardless, it left us with some decisions to make, and they certainly weren't easy. "Maybe if you would let me, I could."

"To what end?" He asked, his voice harsh. "How could you protect me? I am the Lord here. I don't need your protection."

My scowl deepened. "I am _trying_ to make a valid point, and yet you still feel the need to refute everything I say. _This_ is precisely what I'm talking about when I say you're acting awful."

"Awful? You think I'm awful?" Hades' eyes turned cold. "So the truth comes out."

"No, no, no," I shook my head wildly. "You are twisting my words to suit your own assumptions!" I widened my stance, planting my fists on my hips as I glared at him. "I do not understand you. One minute, you're soft-spoken, and I feel as though I'm getting to know you. In the next moment, you become an entirely different person! You're unresponsive, and you hide behind this mask of anger. In case you have forgotten, _I am your queen_, and I will not be treated in this manner!"

"If you truly believe you are queen, you would stop acting in this childish manner. Come; we are losing what little light there is left." With a note of finality, Hades began to turn away, pulling me back with him towards the mule.

I jerked my elbow out of his grip. "No!"

Hades slowly turned to face me, looking at his empty hand, and then up at me. He was stunned. "What?"

"I said _no_." I took a deep breath, and brought myself up to my full height. "I am queen here, and I know that must mean something. So I am respectfully declining."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And what makes you believe that, as queen, you have any say in what I do? I am the Lord of the this land; I am the authority here. If I tell you to do something, you do it! That's how it works around here!"

"Well, maybe things should change," I said through gritted teeth.

"And maybe _you_ should be quiet," Hades snapped. "You may be queen, but that does not mean you may make demands, and it certainly doesn't mean that I am going to start justifying my actions to you."

"No!" I stomped one foot. "I am tired of this mysticism, Hades! I am tired of your foul moods, and your withholding of information! Tell me what is going on, or I swear, I will-I will-" I looked around, scrambling for an answer.

"You'll what?" His voice was mocking, and not for the first time was I overcome with the sharp desire to slap him. His lips twisted into a cruel mockery of a smile. "What will you do, fierce warrior of _spring_?"

"Why must you do that? Why must you remind me of the life that is no longer mine?"

Hades' eyes burned a deep ebony. "That life plagues me as often as it does you, though for different reasons."

I rolled my eyes. "Then at least we are matched in misery. Perhaps that is one thing, if not the only thing, that we have in common."

He didn't reply. I folded my arms over my chest, and stared hard at the ground. The air was hot and thick, and it was difficult to breathe freely. Ashes fell through the air like a fine rain, and I was forced to smear them off my skin again and again, ignoring the black smudges all over me. It didn't matter. What mattered was that the two of us were at an impasse, and I could see no way of it being resolved any time soon.

"Matched in misery," Hades mused thoughtfully. "I like that."

"I'm so happy that you approve, my lord," I snapped sarcastically, "I live to serve, after all."

"Stop it!" Hades whirled on me, his hair fanning out behind him like a dark flag. "What is it that you want from me, Persephone?"

"I want you to be honest with me!" I yelled. "Speak freely around me! Tell me what is happening! If you don't agree to this, then I will not move another step forward with you. You can continue on _alone_."

He barked out a laugh. "An ultimatum? My dear, empty threats are unbecoming. You wouldn't stay out here alone. You're afraid of the dark."

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "So?"

"_So?_ This land is rife with trouble, Persephone. There are creatures that would make your skin crawl. You want me to be honest? Fine. I will do that. There are harpies, there are gorgons, there are demons," He began ticking them off on his fingers, frowning down at his hand in concentration, "I have met with the Furies here, I have met with Medusa, I have bought counsel from Lamia. There is a kraken in the lake, and a hydra over-"

Suddenly, something caught my attention. It was moving behind Hades, approaching the mule. It was twice Hades' height, and nearly as wide. It had powerful, muscled arms covered in thick brown fur, and an enormous head with horns twisting from the sides. It was nude from below the waist, but its fur covered it like clothing. Its legs were just as trunk-like as its arms, and I could see from where I stood the black hooves that should have been feet. Fear pierced my heart like a thrown spear.

"Minotaur," I said, my voice coming out as a whisper.

Hades looked up at me. "Yes, there are minotaurs."

"No, I mean, _minotaur!_" I screamed, pointing past him.

Hades spun. The minotaur had been in the process of reaching for the mule, but my scream had stopped it. It turned its head towards the two of us. Its red eyes fell on Hades and I, and I watched in horror as it shifted its entire body towards us, and began pawing at the ground with its hooves. It lowered its head, preparing to charge.

"You see?" Hades spoke loudly over his shoulder to me. "Now, this is exactly what I was talking about."

* * *

**Sorry I've been gone for so long :/ I hope the length of this chapter makes up for it! Point out any mistakes you might see; I was kind of rushed for the last bit, and I didn't get a chance to look over it as thoroughly as I wanted to. I'm not feeling well right now, and I have a dinner to go to, so I sadly can't give it anymore time. I did, however, promise an update by the end of the month, and here it is! I'll try and work on the next chapter as often as I can, but I have a lot on my plate right now. Thank you for not giving up on me/this story! 3**


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